Louis Rees-Zammit is set to sign a three-year contract for Kansas City Chiefs after quitting rugby union to join NFL's International Player Pathway programme; the move, set to be confirmed on Friday, will see 23-year-old link up with Patrick Mahomes at back-to-back Super Bowl champions
Friday 29 March 2024 18:00, UK
Former Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit is set to realise his dream of playing in the NFL after agreeing to sign a three-year contract for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rees-Zammit shocked the rugby world when he announced at the beginning of the year he was stepping away from the sport to pursue a career in American Football.
The 23-year-old met with several NFL teams after completing a 10-week training camp as part of the league's International Player Pathway programme.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Friday that Rees-Zammit will sign a three-year contract with the Chiefs, in a deal which will include some guaranteed money and a signing bonus.
Bleacher Report's NFL insider Jordan Schultz reported on Wednesday that Rees-Zammit's signing with the the back-to-back Super Bowl champion Chiefs will be confirmed on Friday.
The move will see Rees-Zammit link up with the NFL's premier quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has been the Super Bown MVP for the last two seasons.
There was also understood to have been interest in signing Rees-Zammit from the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.
Rees-Zammit impressed at last week's combine for the international players on his programme, running a 40-yard dash in a time of 4.46 seconds in front of watching scouts.
NFL off-season workouts begin in April, with rookie training camps starting the following month. Full training camp begins in July before teams would usually confirm their final 53-player rosters by the end of August, with the new season beginning on September 5.
Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Aden Durde has backed Rees-Zammit to break through in the NFL.
"I definitely think he's got a chance," said Durde, the first British coordinator in NFL history, on Sky Sports News.
"It's the process of going through this is the hardest but it's the best thing.
"When you go through this, it's how you develop, it's how you start learning the game, how you understand the different phases of the game.
"It's a complicated sport, but once he simplifies it, that's when his athletic talents will take over and you'll see the player he can possibly become."
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