Louis Rees-Zammit’s NFL career handed major lifeline by surprise AFC team
Louis Rees-Zammit has been handed a big lifeline to keep his NFL career alive.
On Tuesday, the former Wales rugby star was released by the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs after failing to make their 53-man roster.
However, on Wednesday, it was revealed that LRZ is close to finalizing a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, per NFL Insider Jordan Schultz.
After the news broke, Rees-Lightning removed his Chiefs squad photo as his profile photo on Instagram, and also removed ‘@Chiefs’ from his Instagram bio.
The news is a major surprise as the expectation was that he would land on the Chiefs practice squad for the 2024 season, giving him a chance to continue to hone his skills and potentially be promoted to the main roster later on in the season.
Rees-Zammit was placed on waivers after being released by the Chiefs, meaning he was on the open market and the other 31 NFL teams were allowed to place a waiver — or ‘claim’ — on him.
However, those signed on waivers must be for regular-season rosters, which seemed unlikely given how new LRZ is to the sport.
According to reports, the Jags have decided to make a move for the 23-year-old running back, and he will now join quarterback Trevor Lawrence on a Jags team who finished 9-8 last season.
“Good luck in Jacksonville @LouisReesZammit,” wrote one fan.
“Definitely a project but best of luck to him,” another added.
LRZ will now have a homecoming of sorts as the Jaguars are set to play in the U.K. on Sunday, October 13, at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
They will play Caleb Williams‘ Chicago Bears before shifting focus to Wembley Stadium a week later when they take on the New England Patriots on Sunday, October 20.
5
5
The Jaguars are owned by Shad Khan, described as one of the world’s greatest living business minds.
The Pakistani-American billionaire also owns Premier League club Fulham FC, with Rees-Zammit’s signing potentially helping the Jags’ international reach.
Rees-Zammit, who scored 14 tries in 32 appearances for Wales, announced in January he was quitting rugby on the eve of his nation’s Six Nations campaign.
He joined the NFL Internation Player Pathway (IPP) program, impressing on his pro day, posting a 4.43 40-yard dash and 29-inch vertical jump.
He signed a three-year contract with the Chiefs in March, and showed glimpses of what he’s capable of in preseason games against his new team, as well as the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears,
5
5
Rees-Zammit made his preseason debut in a 26-13 defeat to the Jaguars and was involved in a four different roles: running back, kick returner, kicker and as part of the punt coverage team.
He then overcame a back issue to make his home debut at Arrowhead Stadium against the Lions, returning a Lions kick-off for 27 yards and and playing as a wide receiver.
His final preseason game came in a 34-21 defeat to the Caleb Williams-less Bears on Thursday. He had four carries for 21 yards, including back-to-back carries of ten and four yards.
However, the odds were always stacked against the speedster as he integrated himself into a complex new sport with many intricacies, and ultimately his performances weren’t enough to secure a roster spot for the Chiefs’ Week 1 clash with the Baltimore Ravens on September 5.
But, after the disappointment of Tuesday, his NFL dreams have now been given a significant boost.
The Jaguars kick of their season with a Week 1 contest against the Miami Dolphins on September 8.