Former Welsh rugby sensation Louis Rees-Zammit is reportedly set to miss out on selection for the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man roster for the forthcoming 2024 NFL season, which will be announced tomorrow.
The 23-year-old from Penarth is expected instead to join the practice squad of the Chiefs, offering him further time to refine his skills following his switch to American football at the start of the year.
During Thursday’s pre-season defeat to the Chicago Bears, which ended in a 34-21 loss, Rees-Zammit made his third outing in what constitutes the sum total of his organised American football experience, displaying versatility in several positions.
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The ex-Gloucester-turned-NFL hopeful recorded four carries that summed up to 21 yards and added a kick return measuring 36 yards; however, he missed a tackle during a punt return and failed to secure a catch on the sole occasion a pass came his way.
Despite occasional glimpses of potential, consensus among commentators suggests that Rees-Zammit’s performances have yet to offer the level of steady output required to claim a spot on a team chasing a hat-trick of Super Bowl titles.
Following the clash with the Bears, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about Rees-Zammit and commented: “Yeah, we tried to get him the ball a little bit tonight, and he had some real positive yards.”
Continuing, Reid observed: “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.”
Rees-Zammit, with 14 tries in 32 games for Wales, announced in January his departure from rugby to join the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) programme in Florida before inking a three-year deal with the Chiefs this March.
But to really break through in the NFL, Rees-Zammit must overcome previous challenges.
“He’s a heck of an athlete,” Reid added. “It’s just a matter of getting more familiar with it as he goes here. We’ll see how everything works out for him.”
Christian Wade, former England and Wasps wing, went down the IPP route in 2019 to the Buffalo Bills, scoring an unforgettable 65-yard touchdown in pre-season but not making a regular season game before returning to rugby in 2022.
Christian Scotland-Williamson left Worcester in 2017 aiming to crack the Pittsburgh Steelers, yet did not play and rejoined rugby with Harlequins in 2021.
Lawrence Okoye, ex-discus thrower and 2012 London Olympian, was undrafted in the 2013 NFL draft, hopping between six teams by 2017 without stepping onto the NFL field, then returning to athletics.
The Chiefs have a deadline of 9pm BST on Tuesday to confirm their final roster cuts.
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