Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit set to sign €800k contract with Super Bowl champions after making NFL switch

Louis Rees-Zammit is set to begin life in the National Football League (NFL) with the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Rees-Zammit made a stunning switch from rugby union in January just weeks before the Six Nations began to pursue his “dream” of playing American football.

The 23-year-old, who scored 14 tries for Wales during his international career, impressed a number of NFL teams at a workout last week.

And a report from Bleacher Report now suggests that the Chiefs have won the race for his signature, with Rees-Zammit expected to be looked at as both a running back and a wide receiver. Revamped kick return rules may also allow him to contribute on special teams.

Rees-Zammit is set to sign a training contract with the Super Bowl champions, which is believed to be in the region of €800,000.

The Chiefs have become the NFL’s most dominant franchise since drafting quarterback Patrick Mahomes, widely considered the league’s best individual player, in 2018.

Tight end Travis Kelce is another star, while head coach Andy Reid one of the most influential offensive minds in NFL history.

Rees-Zammit faces an uphill fight to make an impact in the NFL, with few cross-sport transfers making a success of their switches.

Fellow wing Christian Wade, who will replace Rees-Zammit at Gloucester next season, appeared in several preseason games for the Buffalo Bills without appearing in a regular season game, while rugby league star Jarryd Hayne made minimal impact during a short stint with the San Francisco 49ers in 2015.

The Welshman will benefit, though, from new rules that allow all 32 NFL franchises to have an additional place in their practice squads specifically for those who have come through the International Player Pathway (IPP).

Teams will be allowed to promote that IPP player to the final active 53-man roster without taking up a space up to three times during the season.

Rees-Zammit has signed with American agency Roc Nation Sports — who represent a number of prominent NFL players alongside big rugby names including Siya Kolisi and Marcus Smith — and has set ambitious goals for his time in the sport.

“In the next five years I want to be a Super Bowl champ,” he told the BBC. “These are very much dreams but I’m desperate for these things to happen. And I want to be an inspiration for anyone coming through the IPP, and any international player that wants to get through to the NFL.

“It was always something I wanted to do, since a young age, and I thought it was the right decision. I sat down with my family and went through everything and came to the decision I wanted to do it when I was still young.

“If it works out, I have 10 years to try to play the sport I have loved growing up watching or I can come back to rugby and play the sport I love playing. I am excited to see what happens and what the future holds.”

Get ahead of the day with the morning headlines at 7.30am and Fionnán Sheahan’s exclusive take on the day’s news every afternoon, with our free daily newsletter.