by Louis Rees-Zammit’s dream of playing in the NFL has moved a step closer with the former Wales winger set to sign for the Kansas City Chiefs later this week, according to reports in the US.
Rees-Zammit will combine back-to-back Super Bowl champions and train this summer with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce as he tries to make it onto the team’s final 53-man roster before the new season, as the Chiefs plan it. use Rees-Zammit as an ‘offensive weapon’ at running back and wide receiver.
Rees-Zammit, 23, has visited multiple NFL teams since taking part in the NFL’s International Players Walk last week in Florida, where he competed in several drills in front of scouts to show off his athleticism, running a dash 40 yards. 4.46 seconds which he later admitted to the reporters that he was disappointed with.
Since joining, Rees-Zammit has visited several NFL franchises including the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.
By signing to play for Kansas City he joins the most dominant franchise in the NFL right now, and the Chiefs have won three of the last five Super Bowls under Reid with Mahomes at quarterback, including Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas last month last against the San. Francisco 49ers.
Reid’s inventive offenses despite limited options at wide receiver have been key to the Chiefs’ success, with reports in the US indicating that 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 both play as running back/wide receiver hybrids for the 49ers. Rees-Zammit also highlighted DeSean Jackson as a player he enjoyed watching growing up, a speedy receiver known for a spectacular punt return playing for the Philadelphia Eagles against the New York Giants on called ‘Miracle of the Meadowlands’.
Kick returner is another likely position the Chiefs will try to use Rees-Zammit, and the NFL also announced revised kickoff rules this week that could suit Rees-Zammit’s speed and footwork.
Rees-Zammit stunned Wales and Gloucester by quitting rugby back in January to take part in 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 and scored 14 tries in 42 Tests for Wales, as well as 42 tries in 77 games for Gloucester.
It was his father, Joe, who played for Cardiff Tigers in the 1980s who created his desire to try to play in the NFL. Rees-Zammit told the Telegraph’s Rugby Podcast: “It was all very tough at that time. If you had no money and could fly out to America and go to college there. He couldn’t do that to continue his legacy, to let him say his son is in the NFL, it would be a dream come true for me.”
Explanations: how close is Rees-Zammit to playing in the NFL?
Offseason workouts for NFL teams begin with returning head coaches in mid-April, 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 at the end of this month as teams try to add the best rookie players from College.
Rees-Zammit would also be part of rookie training camps in mid-May, before all the players gather for Organized Team Activities (OTAs) in late May/early June. Players then return for Training Camps in mid-July, building toward preseason games and trying to impress coaches enough to make the final 53-man roster for the new season.
Will Rees-Zammit make the practice squad?
This depends on his progress in training camp and initially seemed the most likely option for Rees-Zammit, with the practice squad this year expanding to 17 players for every 32 clubs if one player is an international qualifier . The move allows teams to continue to develop international players’ skills and understanding of the sport while still maintaining a full practice squad of more experienced players.
The practice squad allows players to remain part of the team even if there is no space on the main 53-man roster, before being reinstated to the 90-man roster next season. Up to two players may also be called up from the practice squad to the main roster each week to play in NFL games.
Christian Wade, the England wing now at Racing 92, spent three years on the Buffalo Bills practice squad, scoring a famous touchdown on his first carry in a pre-season game back in 2019.
When are roster cuts made?
Teams must confirm their final 53-man roster usually by the end of August. If Rees-Zammit were to make the cut, despite his obvious athleticism, it would be a remarkable feat given his lack of NFL experience prior to joining the IPP, and having to play the sport on to learn over 10 weeks.
How much money will he make?
Based on figures from 2023, if Rees-Zammit was placed on the practice squad, his total minimum salary would be $12,000 (£9,500) per week, coming to a total of $216,000 over an NFL season (£170,000). If Rees-Zammit makes the final 53-man roster, the rookie minimum salary will be $750,000 (£594,350) per year.
Telegraph Sport reported back in January that Rees-Zammit’s final salary with Gloucester was £225,000 per season, with Rees-Zammit earning extra money from his appearance fees playing for Wales.
