According to reports from the United States, Louis Rees-Zammit’s dream of playing in the NFL has moved a step closer as the former Wales tackle signed for the Kansas City Chiefs this weekend.
Rees-Zammit will put together back-to-back Super Bowl champions and train with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce this summer to try to make the team’s final 53-man roster ahead of the new season. Use Rees-Zammit as an ‘offensive weapon’ at running back and wide receiver.
Rees-Zammit, 23, has visited multiple NFL teams since attending the NFL’s International Player Pathway combine in Florida last week, during which he competed in a series of practices in the 40-yard dash to show off his athleticism in front of scouts. A time of 4.46 seconds, which he later admitted to reporters that he was disappointed with.
Rees-Zammit has visited a number of NFL franchises since the merger, including the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.
By signing to play in Kansas City, he joins the most dominant team currently in the NFL; The Chiefs have won three of the last five Super Bowls under Reid with Mahomes at quarterback; including last month’s Super Bowl LVIII win over San Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Francisco 49ers.
Despite limited options at wideout, Reid’s creative offenses have been key to the Chiefs’ success; Reports in the US suggest the head coach plans to use Rees-Zammit in a number of different positions and roles.
Rees-Zammit told Telegraph Sport last month that the players he hopes to emulate in the NFL are Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, who play as running back/wide receiver hybrids for the 49ers. Rees-Zammit also highlighted DeSean Jackson as a player he enjoyed watching growing up; He was a speedy receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants and was known for his sensational punt return, dubbed the ‘Miracle on the Meadowlands’.
Kick-returner is another possible position where Chiefs will look to use Rees-Zammit; The NFL also announced revised kickoff rules this week that may suit Rees-Zammit’s tempo and footwork.
Rees-Zammit stunned Wales and Gloucester by retiring from rugby in January to attend the IPP, a 10-week crash course for international players trying to make it in the NFL. He was the youngest player on the British and Irish Lions’ tour to South Africa in 2021, scoring 14 tries in 42 Tests for Wales and 42 tries in 77 matches for Gloucester.
His desire to try playing in the NFL was created by his father Joe, who played for the Cardiff Tigers in the 1980s. “It was pretty tough at the time,” Rees-Zammit told the Telegraph Rugby Podcast. Unless, of course, you have money and can’t fly to America and go to university there. “He couldn’t do that, so to carry on his legacy, to let his son say he’s in the NFL would be a dream come true for me.”
Explainer: How close is Rees-Zammit to playing in the NFL?
NFL teams’ offseason workouts begin in mid-April with returning head coaches, and Rees-Zammit gets to know all of his Chiefs teammates for the first time. Preseason rosters in the NFL can carry up to 90 players, and the NFL Draft will take place later this month as teams look to add top rookies from College.
Rees-Zammit will also be part of rookie training camps in mid-May before all players reconvene for Organized Team Activities (OTAs) in late May/early June. Players then return to Training Camps in mid-July, preparing for preseason games and trying to impress coaches enough to make the final 53-man roster for the new season.
Will Rees-Zammit make the training squad?
This depends on his progress throughout training camp and initially looked like the most likely option for Rees-Zammit; This year the training squad expands to 17 players for all 32 clubs if a player is an international player. The move allows teams to continue to develop the international player’s skills and understanding of the sport while maintaining a full training squad of more experienced players.
The practice squad allows players to remain part of the team even if there is no room left on the main 53-man roster, with the potential to be added back to the 90-man roster the following offseason. A maximum of two players may be called up from the practice squad to the main roster each week to play in NFL games.
England wing Christian Wade, now with Racing 92, spent three years on the Buffalo Bills practice squad and famously scored with his first attempt in a preseason game in 2019.
When will the staff cuts be made?
Teams must confirm their final 53-man rosters, usually by the end of August. If Rees-Zammit were to make the cut, despite his athleticism clearly being there, it would be a remarkable achievement given his lack of NFL experience prior to joining the IPP and having to learn the entire sport over the course of 10 weeks.
How much money will he earn?
Based on 2023 figures, the absolute minimum salary Rees-Zammit would earn if named to the practice squad would be $12,000 (£9,500) per week, totaling $216,000 (£170,000) over an NFL season. If Rees-Zammit makes the final 53-man squad, the minimum salary for a rookie will be $750,000 (£594,350) per year.
Telegraph Sport reported in January that Rees-Zammit’s final salary at Gloucester was £225,000 per season, with Rees-Zammit earning extra money from match fees for Wales.