After a 2024 of changing professional sports, catching footballs from 3-time Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes and, oh yeah… getting to hang out with Taylor Swift’s boyfriend, Louis Rees-Zammit has had one hell of a 2024 so far. But it’s far from done. The former Welsh Rugby star was recently left out of the Kansas City Chiefs 53-man regular season squad for 2024 and has decided to sign a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars to join their practice squad. This means he still finds himself waiting for an elusive opportunity to join a starting squad in the NFL. However, Louis joins a Jacksonville team with a host of connections to the U.K. already. A team ran by billionaire businessman Shad Khan, the man who owns Wembley Stadium, the Jaguars hold a special deal in which since 2013 they have held at least one home game each season at the iconic venue. This season is no different with Jacksonville playing the Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the 13th of October then the New England Patriots at Wembley a week later. As a result, could this move for Louis provide hope for the UK crowd that he could be playing meaningful snaps in the NFL at some point this season? 

Louis’ commitment to succeeding in the NFL is clear for all to see. In an interview with talksport, Louis felt calm about the Chiefs decision to cut him from their squad. Louis said he didn’t hold “massive expectations to make a 53 straight away” and that he knows he “can make it in this sport”. With the backing of the NFL International Player Program, an initiative that enables each NFL team an extra spot within their own practice squads for international players, Louis does have the ability to reach an NFL roster in the near or distant future. This can be supported through acknowledging the pathway’s most notable success story, Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Lineman Jordan Mailata. The former Australian Rugby player who got drafted into the NFL in 2018 without playing the game before, has risen through the ranks and is now considered by many as one of the standout players at his position in the NFL. This in tandem with other success stories including Buffalo Bills offensive linemen, Travis Clayton, a Brit from Basingstoke who was drafted to the Bills just this year makes it clear that the opportunity for players outside of the US to succeed in the NFL is a possibility. However, with Louis’ reputation in the sporting world after his successful professional Rugby career, a transition into the richest sports league in the world would undoubtedly be seen as the most successful story for the International Player pathway program in its seven-year existence. 

However, for a man who this time last year was thriving on one of the biggest stages in world sport at a Rugby World Cup, missing out on both Kansas City’s and Jacksonville’s 53-man rosters for the 2024 season could be considered as a sign of poor decision making from the Welshman. Why give up on a career in Rugby such as his to take such a gamble? As former Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce said on his New Heights Podcast back in April when discussing the Welsh Star, the NFL is “a humbling experience” and “it’s not easy to make that jump, they’re two completely different games.” However, Louis says that despite the setbacks he’s faced in the last few weeks, he is going to become someone that NFL coaches can look upon and rely on and that despite his setbacks he will be able to give NFL coaches “a reason to put me on the field”. 

And Louis can hold onto the fact that NFL teams are undoubtedly impressed by his potential. As former NFL cornerback and Sky Sports NFL pundit Jason Bell said on talksport, “Anything is possible in the NFL” and “the fact he’s on the practice squad [of the Jaguars] tells you they believe he has the skillset, it just has to be nurtured.” With Louis even transitioning positions from playing Running Back with the Chiefs to taking snaps at Wide Receiver for the Jaguars, his versatility and willingness to help his team in a multitude of ways will only be a useful asset when moving towards a starting place on an NFL roster. Louis explained in conversation to talksport that “he always wanted to play wide receiver” so it will be fascinating to see if he can succeed in his transition to the position. Furthermore, with the recent introduction of the new “dynamic kick-off” rules to the NFL from this season, players with skillsets like that of Louis could become very useful for teams wanting to succeed from the new rules. 

As a result, despite Louis’ recent setbacks, the potential for him to sneak into NFL squads due to injuries, personal improvement or other adjustments is certainly possible. Therefore, with the potential Louis holds to succeed in the NFL, I don’t believe it’s out of the realms of possibility that we could see an appearance from him in a Jaguars uniform in London in October or at some other point during the 2024 NFL season. 

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