Former Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit will continue chasing his NFL dreams after being released by the Kansas City Chiefs , as he finalizes a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars .
The speedy youngster was released by Kansas City amid a flurry of cutthroat personnel moves on Tuesday's 53-man roster deadline, with his deal to join Jacksonville, reported by NFL insiders, likely for a spot on the practice squad.
Rees-Zammit becomes the second Jacksonville player to hail from a close cousin of American football, also signing Patrick Murtagh, who played for Australian Football League team Gold Coast Suns' developmental program before joining the NFL's International Player Pathway as a tight end. He suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the off-season.
The Jaguars, notably, are the only NFL team playing multiple games in the United Kingdom this year, with consecutive matchups against Chicago and New England in London. Should Rees-Zammit join the practice squad, he can get called up to the active roster at any time, including potentially for these matchups.
Hailing from Penarth, south Wales, Rees-Zammit starred for the local Cardiff Blues rugby academy before crossing just over the English border to join Gloucester. Rees-Zammit cracked the first team of the Premiership outfit and became one of the world's most acclaimed young players for both club and country, scoring 210 points in 77 appearances with Gloucester while helping Wales capture the 2021 Six Nations Championship.
The 6'2 winger became acclaimed for his breakneck pace, which he looked to translate into a more lucrative NFL career after turning heads with a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the NFL's International Player Pathway pro day in March. Rees-Zammit ultimately signed a 3-year, $2.83 million contract in April with $230,000 in guaranteed cash, a comparable deal to most undrafted free agents.
The young Welshman appeared immediately enthused by his long-term prospects with the Chiefs organization, joining Patrick Mahomes and much of Kansas City's star-studded roster for a private workout in Dallas less than three weeks later. Head coach Andy Reid was intrigued by Rees-Zammit's versatility and employed the speedster in a variety of roles through KC's preseason slate.
"He was introduced to this when he was young when his dad played for six years in the European league,” Reid explained about Rees-Zammit, who also revealed his adoration for NFL legend DeSean Jackson as a kid.
“He’s somewhat familiar with the sport and has had success in rugby. And there are some similarities there as a contact sport, and he’s had the ball and does those things and runs with the ball. We’ll start him off at the running back position and get him to feel comfortable with that."
The growing pains were most prominent on plays from scrimmage, with Rees-Zammit primarily deputized as a running back. He finished with just 22 yards on six total carries, plagued by indecisiveness and criticized for his stiff running. With the opportunity to showcase his straight-line speed on punt coverage and kickoff returns, Rees-Zammit flashed his potential — the Welshman returned one across the 35-yard line in the Chiefs' final preseason game last week — but ultimately didn't show enough to secure his 53-man roster spot.
Local Kansas State
Most Popular
Comments / 0