Louis Rees-Zammit is currently a free agent (Image: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Louis Rees-Zammit is now without a team 12 months into his five-year plan to be a Super Bowl champion. After sending shockwaves through the sporting world in 2024 by leaving Gloucester Rugby for American football, set out one of the most ambitious plans for an athlete switching sports.
He trained with the International Player Pathway Program and clinched a spot as a running back with the reigning champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. However, his journey with the Chiefs was short-lived, leading to a stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ practice squad.
Despite not breaking into the regular first-team lineup, his expired contract as a free agent could be a blessing in disguise for ambitions of Super Bowl stardom. Now being offered the freedom to negotiate with any league team, Rees-Zammit could secure a pivotal role on a -calibre squad.
has reported that while the Jaguars have made an offer for Rees-Zammit’s return, the Welsh superstar remains undecided about his future path.
NFL commentator Phoebe Schecter has backed Rees-Zammit’s position, stating that his contract ending at the Jaguars is typical in the NFL. She said: “It’s totally normal. It happens to a lot of guys.
“Even players on the practice squad, they might be released and picked back up again. Sometimes they have to release someone to bring in someone else. Ultimately it’s all a numbers game. Financially, and a literal numbers game.
“We saw with Christian Wade with Buffalo (Bills). His contract expired and then they just signed him to their practice squad afterwards. This is really a normal thing, it’s the life of an NFL player, unless you’re a starter, but even then there’s always going to be a lot of uncertainty around job security.”
The Welsh athlete could re-sign with the Jaguars (Image: Getty)
With the Jaguars undergoing a coaching revamp and appointing offensive-leaning Liam Coen as head coach – who previously was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Rees-Zammit could seize this moment to return and stake his claim for a place in the main squad.
While some may argue that the Jaguars’ chances at Super Bowl glory are slim, an impressive debut by Rees-Zammit could lead to trades that propel him closer to clinching the coveted Lombardi trophy.
The Super Bowl takes place this weekend, with the Chiefs taking on the Philadelphia Eagles on February 9 – and while the Welshman will be watching on as a spectator, his dream is still to be on the field when the confetti falls.
The 24-year-old rugby convert had set his sights high, as he told the before his NFL journey began 12 months ago that he wanted to win the sport’s most famous trophy in five years’ time. “In the next five years, I want to be a Super Bowl champ,” Rees-Zammit said.
“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.”
A year into his pursuit, Rees-Zammit may not have made the progress he had planned to, but he remains optimistic, with four years still on the clock to turn his dream into reality.