Louis Rees-Zammit joins the Jaguars’ active roster – what the move means for his NFL chances

Yahoo Sports | American Football | 02/18/2025

AP Photo/Ian Walton

Louis Rees-Zammit has moved a step closer towards playing in the NFL after being signed to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ active roster.

Rees-Zammit, 24, joined the Jaguars last year after being released by Kansas City Chiefs, becoming part of the practice (reserve) squad as an international exempt player.

Now the former Wales and British and Irish Lions wing has been signed to the Jaguars’ top group of 53 players, ahead of the start of the NFL’s free agency window next month, when unattached players can sign with any franchise.

Rees-Zammit’s decision to stay with the Jaguars comes at a time when the franchise had a turnover of off-field staff, after firing head coach Doug Pederson and general manager Trent Baalke. Jacksonville have since hired Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen to be their new head coach while their search for a new general manager is ongoing. The move to sign Rees-Zammit to the active roster was made by interim GM Ethan Waugh.

Rees-Zammit is currently training in Dubai but discussed his future while making numerous media appearances during the recent Super Bowl in New Orleans.

“You know, the past year has been a crazy experience. Mentally, physically, it’s been tough. But it was a journey I’ve always wanted to be on. So I’m loving it,” Rees-Zammit told ITV.

Rees-Zammit made the shock announcement that he was leaving rugby at the start of 2024 – having scored 14 tries in 32 caps for Wales – to take part in the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program, after which he was signed to the Chiefs’ practice squad.

The Chiefs used Rees-Zammit as a running back and kick returner before he was waived during the final roster cutdowns last August, ahead of the new season. He was signed by Jacksonville, who since then have moved Rees-Zammit to wide receiver, keeping him on the practice squad throughout last season.

“You know, trying to pick up a brand new sport within three months, it is pretty tough, especially trying to play catch-up with all the boys who are playing now,” he added. “So it’s been a very tough year, but it’s one I’ve learnt so much. And I can really look forward to this year coming.”

Return to rugby was never an option

When Louis Rees-Zammit’s contract expired with the Jacksonville Jaguars in January, a number of options were left on the table, except for one: a return to rugby.

Telegraph Sport was informed definitively that would not be happening, despite Warren Gatland, then in charge of Wales, admitting publicly that “we would love to have him back if he was available to us. Whenever he wants to come back, he’d be more than welcome back in the fold”.

Wales' Louis Rees-Zammit scores his side's fourth try of the game during the Rugby World Cup 2023, Pool C match against Georgia

You can hardly blame Wales for wanting him back, but for Rees-Zammit to have left the NFL after only a year would have been a shame. Going from picking up the sport from scratch to making the practice squad alone was a remarkable achievement, particularly having trained initially as a running back with the Chiefs before moving to receiver in Jacksonville.

The key detail now is that Rees-Zammit has been signed to the Jaguars’ active roster, rather than to a reserves/futures contract, which fringe players are often signed up to at this period of the off-season.

Does it mean that Rees-Zammit will absolutely be on the Jaguars’ 53-man roster come August? No. He could be moved to the practice squad or released as their roster takes shape through free agency in March and after the NFL draft at the end of April.

But right now, this means Rees-Zammit will be training with the team when their off-season gets under way at the start of April under Liam Coen, the team’s new head coach, and ideally he will have meaningful practice time with Trevor Lawrence, the team’s quarterback.

How it then translates into pre-season action and potentially playing in regular-season games come September remains to be seen, but this is a positive step for a player who made a brave move, leaving one career as a top Test player behind to try to make it in the NFL.