-Credit:PA
Louis Rees-Zammit is considering his next move after his contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars expired, leaving him without a team for now.
The former Wales star signed for the Jaguars in August, joining their practice squad as a running back after being waived by the Kansas City Chiefs. Rees-Zammit had initially joined the Super Bowl champions on a three-year deal after impressing on the NFL’s International Player Pathway programme following his shock exit from rugby, but was released after failing to make the 53-man roster.
After making three pre-season appearances for the Chiefs, the 23-year-old hoped to push for an NFL appearance after joining up with the Jaguars, with his coach Doug Pedersen telling him that his “opportunity will come” after being impressed by his athleticism.
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However, things have not panned out that way, with Rees-Zammit not playing a single minute for the franchise this season. The Jaguars also failed to qualify for the play-offs after finishing second bottom of AFC South, with Pedersen – the man who gave the Welshman a second chance in the NFL – sacked following a poor campaign.
Now, the Jaguars have let Rees-Zammit’s contract expire, leaving him as a free agent. While the franchise have signed seven players to what are called reserve/futures contracts, the Welshman is currently not one of them.
Those contracts are offered at the culmination of an NFL regular season and tie practice squad members or free agents to a franchise, meaning they are not able to negotiate with other teams even though the new league year has not kicked in. Teams are not limited in how many players they can sign to futures contracts, so long as it doesn’t put them over the 90-man limit that takes effect on the first day of the new league year. The fact Rees-Zammit has not been offered one yet, or has not accepted one, is perhaps significant, although it is not inconceivable he could still end up back at the Jaguars for a summer training camp.
WalesOnline understands Rees-Zammit and his team are now ‘figuring out’ his next move over the coming days, with the details of his future in the NFL looking increasingly uncertain. He will now hope to sign a training camp contract with a franchise and have the chance to compete for a place on the main roster or practice squad of what could be his third NFL team. He remains determined to make it in the sport.
Last month, Rees-Zammit told his social media followers to “trust the process” after things began to slow down for him at the end of a whirlwind 2024, with the former Gloucester ace also reminding his fans and critics alike that “great things take time”.
At the start of the year, he was also in a positive mood as he looked back on the past 12 months and ahead to the future. “What a crazy year it’s been,” he wrote. “Can’t thank everyone enough for the support I’ve had over the last 12 months. Can’t wait to see what the future holds in 2025.”