Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit made an attempt at an NFL career last year. While he did not play in any regular season games, he noted in June his intention of continuing to push for a roster spot through at least the 2025 campaign. 
A change of heart has since taken place, however. Rees-Zammit – who began with the Chiefs but spent the 2024 campaign on the Jaguars’ practice squad – announced on Friday that he is returning to rugby. His NFL tenure thus comes to an end after three preseason appearances with Kansas City.
“It’s been a great experience but it’s time to come home,” the 24-year-old wrote on Instagram. “I’ve decided that this is the best time to make this decision to give myself time to get everything in place for next season.”
Rees-Zammit’s attempt to break through in the NFL came amidst questions about his best position. Time spent at both receiver and running back did not yield a clear path to a roster spot with the Chiefs, and he was among the team’s final roster cuts. Immediately after being waived, the Welshman joined the Jaguars via a practice squad deal. After not seeing any game time, he landed a contract on Jacksonville’s active roster in February (as opposed to a reserve/futures pact) and later received a roster exemption through the International Player Pathway.
As a result, waiving Rees-Zammit or placing him on the reserve/retired list in the wake of today’s decision will not alter the Jags’ outlook heading into the final month of the offseason. If the team elects to make a skill position addition at some point over the coming weeks, Jacksonville will be able to afford one with nearly $19MM in cap space.
Fun experiment, but why be waiver bait in your second sport when you can be a star in your prime at your first?
I think society needs people who are willing to try to break down barriers despite the odds being against them of being successful. Of course, I’m an old Trekkie who also believes man should go where no man has gone before so perhaps my thinking is outdated.
What barrier would he be breaking down? He wouldn’t be the first successful rugby to football transition.
Money is the simple answer. The highest paid Rugby player is about $1.3 million. Minimum NFL salary for a player with two years of experience is around $1 million. If he became a WR3 he is looking at $4-7 million per year.
He hasn’t sniffed being a WR3.
Well, you asked about motivation. Rees-Zammit probably also harbors a love for the sport; combined with the chance to maybe make that money is motivation enough for most.
Sure, but I was responding to the story about the man making the decision to go back after being on the outside looking in with the Chiefs and Jaguars. I was agreeing with the logic of the choice he himself has made.
He may have not sniffed wr3 but his goal was to make an NFL team and then work his way up. You think guys who dominate in one sport don’t see a challenge as just an obstacle to their greatness? Guys like that are built different and have the mindset that if they put the effort in, that they can’t be stopped from achieving their goal. He gave three years of dedication to making it in the NFL, but at the end of the day realized he wasn’t built for it.
Sure. Again, my comment was in response to him having already made this decision.
If he was a rugby player I would have tried him at linebacker or defensive end. Not sure how big he is though. I watched some rugby when I was in college and had no interest in learn anything about it. Didn’t have any desire to lose teeth, ears, fistfuls of hair, or end up with broken arms or legs.
He’s smaller than you’re thinking. He’s built more like a receiver. He was a winger in rugby, so he was always going to be a ball carrier with skills that made sense to translate, since speed and elusiveness were important.
I’m with you on rugby. Any sport that would let you be in combat with Jordan Mailata without a helmet on is a hard pass for me.
See, that sounds like a good challenge to me. Sure, you might get crushed, but the competition is fun. Hopefully you end with more…human sized opponents, though.