Early 53-man Chiefs roster reports don't look good for LRZ

Early reports from across the pond suggest Louis Rees-Zammit's attempt to make the Kansas City Chiefs' 53-man roster at his first attempt have been unsuccessful.

The 23-year-old Welsh rugby star was aiming for a spot on the NFL team, an enormous challenge given that most of his competitors have been playing American football since childhood.

Early feedback from training camp suggested that Rees-Zammit - or "LRZ"  as he's been referred to in NFL circles - was in contention. Coaches and teammates praised his athleticism and work ethic but despite showing promise - especially in his final pre-season game where he rushed four times for 21 yards and made a 36-yard kickoff return - it looks like his efforts were not quite enough.

He was far from bad, making remarkably few errors despite his newness to the game. Indeed Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was impressed by what he saw, saying after the match that the former rugby player had some “positive yards”.

“I tried to give him the ball a little bit tonight,” said Reid. “He had some real positive yards.

“That’ll be good for him to see and study himself on that, in live action like that. He’s a heck of an athlete. It’s just a matter of getting more familiar with it as he goes here. We’ll see how everything works out for him.”

Louis Rees-Zammit in action last night for the @Chiefs! ⚡️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 pic.twitter.com/PXv8pgyRil— NFL UK & Ireland (@NFLUKIRE) August 23, 2024

Rees-Zammit's chances will have been hurt by the strong performance of his competitor Carson Steele. The undrafted Steele has been impressive throughout pre-season and scored a touchdown against the Chicago Bears.

In contrast, while many observers believe Rees-Zammit has improved and shown versatility as a back-up punter, the truth is that his pre-season lacked the box-office moment that may have forced his coaches' hands.

If Rees-Zammit fails to make the 53-man roster, his earnings could also change. His three-year, $2.8 million contract with the Chiefs may be affected if he drops to the practice squad. He was guaranteed a $250,000 minimum in that contract and was handed a $20,000 signing bonus when he put pen to paper as a free agent earlier this year.

Practice squad players generally earn far less than those on the active roster, although he will earn at least $12,500 a week.  Although his deal is still relatively secure, the financial implications of not making the roster could be substantial. Considering Rees-Zammit was set to earn roughly $800,000 had he gone to Japanese rugby, a drop-down to $250,000 is hardly insignificant.

Rees-Zammit's situation is further complicated by his technical status as a non-International Player Pathway (IPP) player despite coming through that pathway. Unlike IPP players, who are protected from being signed by other teams while on the practice squad, Rees-Zammit would remain eligible for other NFL teams to sign. This could make him a target for other franchises, though opinions differ on whether any team would take the risk on such a project player.

Kansas City Chiefs running back Louis Rees-Zammit (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Earlier this month Chiefs pundit Cole DeRuse noted that the Chiefs might place Rees-Zammit on their active roster to prevent other teams from picking him up. “I understand that they [Chiefs management] didn’t put the International Pathway Player exemption on him, so if he does not make the roster he would have to clear waivers and he can get scooped up by somebody else. You could make the case that the Chiefs may put him on the 53 to kind of protect him. They’ve done that before."

However, former Chiefs tight end Jason Dunn believes it's unlikely another NFL team would sign him from the practice squad due to his inexperience and the time required to develop him into a football player. Dunn, who has been following LRZ's story closely, pointed out that LRZ would likely end up on the practice squad of another franchise and likely one not as illustrious as the back-to-back Super Bowl champs.

The Chiefs finalise their roster tomorrow (August 27) so the Welshman faces an anxious 24-hour wait.