by To describe the Kansas City Chiefs as the perfect landing spot for Louis Rees-Zammit is an understatement. The former Wales wing will now be shadowing one of the NFL’s great coaching minds in Andy Reid, and could play alongside quarterback Patrick Mahomes who has been to four Super Bowls in six seasons. , winning by.
The use of ‘maybe’ is intentional, and Rees-Zammit needs to pull off a pretty impressive crash course in the NFL to make the final 53-man roster at the end of August. There’s no doubt that he has the athletic ability – the challenge is absorbing all the concepts and ways and terminology of playing at a level that thousands of college players don’t reach every year, after their entire lives spend in the game. .
The beauty of the NFL’s International Player Pathway is the 10-week program Rees-Zammit quit rugby to participate in back in January before doing some drills in front of NFL scouts in Florida this week last. Rees-Zammit visited with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Denver Broncos before signing with the Chiefs.
LRZ told me he was disappointed with his time in the 4.4s and said he is running in the 4.2s and 4.3s
— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) March 20, 2024
He could not be joining the Kansas City Chiefs at a more interesting time, not only because of their great success under Reid and Mahomes but also the extra attention that now comes with every Chiefs game in light of Travis Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift. Sales of Kelce’s jersey rose 400 percent last season and interest in the team in the United States has arguably never been higher, which is saying something when you consider their 1970 success. won Super Bowl IV under coach Hank Stram with quarterback Len Dawson.
Mahomes was already emerging as the face of the NFL following Tom Brady’s retirement and starred in the well-received Netflix series ‘Quarterback’, while Kelce previously hosted Saturday Night Live and appeared in numerous commercials . But Swift’s presence at Arrowhead Stadium has taken the attention of both players and staff to a new level. For Rees-Zammit, who recently signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports agency, the move has an attractive commercial aspect, joining the biggest team at a time when interest in the NFL has never been higher , with the Chiefs backed by one. of the strongest fan bases in the league.
Realistically, however, what really matters to Rees-Zammit is what happens on the practice field over the next five months. That will determine whether he makes the final 53-man roster in his first year, an incredible feat if it happens.
The most likely outcome is Rees-Zammit ending up on the Tenners’ practice squad, a reserve group of players who do not make the final 53-man roster. This season teams can have an additional 17th spot on the practice squad for an international player like Rees-Zammit. He could be called up to play in NFL games every week, but staying on the practice squad allows him to continue his development while staying connected to the organization.
As he revealed in a recent interview with the Telegraph Rugby Podcast, Rees-Zammit was an NFL addict even before he moved to the US, regularly staying up late on Sunday nights in the UK like every other supporter to watch games , including the Super Bowl. .
There is a background of NFL knowledge but learning the ins and outs of sports as an athlete is like mastering a new language and then writing a novel using it. Of course, if he loses, Rees-Zammit could be let go and eventually return to rugby. But the interest from multiple teams after the combine suggests that even if he fails to work out in Kansas City, others will be interested in the potential of a 23-year-old with Rees-Zammit’s athletic talent and hunger for it make it in the NFL. .
The Chiefs are interesting for another reason – a lack of talent at the wide receiver position to catch Mahomes’ passes. Reports in the United States indicate that Rees-Zammit will be used as a receiver, running back and possibly as a kick returner, given his acceleration and footwork.
Reid and Mahomes viewed last year’s Super Bowl title as a remarkable achievement given the lack of receiver arms, other than Rashee Rice, last year’s rookie second-round pick. By mid-November, no team had dropped more passes than Kansas City’s 2.6 per game, with Kadarious Toney and Marquez Valdes-Scantling particularly at fault (though Valdez-Scantling went on to redeem himself with an interception crucial in the AFC Championship Game, effectively). the semifinal, against the Baltimore Ravens). Toney and Justin Ross were inactive for the Super Bowl, and Skyy Moore, a 2022 second-round draft pick, did not play.
Mahomes needs weapons after years of relying on Kelce, a top tight end who will turn 35 next season, as his top target, especially since one of the game’s top receivers in Tyreek Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins. Rice has shown potential, while Marquise Brown has been signed on a one-year contract worth $11 million (£8.7m). But the more options there are the better and in Rees-Zammit, it’s clear that Reid and the Chiefs feel they have an interesting athlete who might be able to stretch defenses. Not forgetting Reid’s box of tricks either, putting running backs and wide receivers into unusual formations to find defenses.
While Rees-Zammit would be more than happy to sign for any NFL franchise, the Chiefs are on another level on and off the field. Being surrounded by Reid and Mahomes and Kelce feels that Rees-Zammit has found a ‘golden ticket’, getting the opportunity to learn from the best.
