CHIEFS REPORTEDLY SIGNING RUGBY STAR TO BE AN OFFENSIVE WEAPON
There have been rugby players in the past who have made NFL rosters, but they rarely make a major impact as football players. However, that could be changing with whom the Kansas Chiefs have reportedly signed.
Per Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz, the Chiefs are set to sign Wales rugby winger Louis Rees-Zammit on Friday. Schultz said that Rees-Zammit worked out with the Chiefs earlier this week and impressed them.
The vision is for the 6-foot-3 inches 212-pound athlete to play running back and wide receiver. The Chiefs also plan on giving the 23-year-old a crack at kick return duties with the NFL revamping kickoff rules.
Rees-Zammit recently ran a 4.43 40-yard dash and has shown elite athleticism as a rugby player. Per ESPN, he was part of the British & Irish Lions' tour of South Africa in 2021, where he was the youngest to be selected for that tour since 1959. ESPN called him "one of the most lethal wingers in the Gallagher Premiership with Gloucester."
Rees-Zammit announced in January that he was joining the NFL's International Player Pathway (IPP) in Florida. The decision to quit rugby and pursue his dream of playing in the NFL is clearly paying off. Rees-Zammit had visits with the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos and the Chiefs.
The Welsh star opting to sign with the back-to-back Super Bowl champs seems wise. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid knows how to creatively utilize offensive players. Whether Rees-Zammit ultimately catches on at running back, wideout, or kick returner remains to be seen. However, what is a fact is he was as dynamic of a rugby player as there was in the world when the ball was in his hands.
While Rees-Zammit becoming a star in the NFL remains a longshot, he's someone that will be easy to root for. Having Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback certainly doesn't hurt his chances.
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