Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid admitted Louis Rees-Zammit needs to get “more familiar” with the sport prior to releasing the former rugby star.
Back in April, Rees-Zammit put pen to paper on a three-year deal with the Chiefs , officially sealing his future in the NFL . His contract with the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions included guaranteed money as well as a signing bonus after joining as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway program.
However, the former Wales rugby union star must now wait to see if he will be signed to the team’s practice squad. On Tuesday, NFL teams had to reduce their rosters from 90 players to 53 - and Rees-Zammit was not retained .
Seven months on from his ground-breaking decision, Rees-Zammit took part in his first NFL preseason with the Chiefs against the Jacksonville Jaguars , Detroit Lions , and Chicago Bears . He was praised by Reid, who deployed the 23-year-old in multiple roles and could yet land on the AFC West franchise’s practice squad.
“I tried to give him the ball a little bit tonight. He had some real positive yards,” Reid told reporters after the Bears clash. “That’ll be good for him to see and study himself on that, in live action like that.
“He’s a heck of an athlete. It’s just a matter of getting more familiar with it as he goes here. We’ll see how everything works out for him.”
In preseason, Rees-Zammit featured on special teams as a gunner as well as a kicker on kickoffs. He also operated as a running back out of the backfield but appeared rusty while the likes of Carson Steele thrived.
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Following his release, Rees-Zammit can now be signed by any of the other 31 NFL franchises. If he clears waivers, he can be re-signed to the Chiefs’ 17-player practice squad from which he can be called up to the main roster at any time while also continuing to work on his game under the franchise’s stewardship.
Blessed with remarkable speed, Rees-Zammit developed into one of the most exciting wingers in world rugby, scoring five tries at last year’s Rugby World Cup in France. After completing 10 weeks at IMG Academy in Florida, Rees-Zammit impressed at a Pro Day, meeting with the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets before agreeing to terms with the Chiefs.
The Welshman had signed a three-year deal with the Chiefs, and he is now playing a waiting game ahead of the 2024 NFL season. The reigning two-time Super Bowl champion Chiefs kick off the new campaign in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday, Sept. 5.
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