Louis Rees-Zammit set to sign for Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs after NFL switch from rugby

Louis Rees-Zammit is set to sign for Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs after quitting rugby to join the NFL's International Player Pathway programme.

According to Bleacher Report’s NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Rees-Zammit impressed the Chiefs after recently completing the programme’s 10-week training camp.

He reportedly chose the Chiefs, who have won back-to-back Super Bowls, over interest from the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos.

The move will see Rees-Zammit link up with Patrick Mahomes, widely considered the NFL’s best quarterback.

The next NFL season does not begin until the start of December, but off-season workouts begin in April and rookie training camps in May. Full training then starts in July, before final 53-player rosters are confirmed by the end of August.

Rees-Zammit announced in January that he would be leaving rugby in an attempt to become an American football player in the NFL.

The 23-year-old, who made 32 appearances for Wales, was released from his contract at Gallagher Premiership club Gloucester.

He broke into Gloucester's senior team in 2019, becoming the club's youngest ever Premiership player at 18 years and 70 days, and signed his first professional contract in January 2020.

Rees-Zammit was also included in the squad for the 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, scoring three tries in four appearances.

In a statement, Rees-Zammit thanked Gloucester Rugby for their support but admitted opportunities to earn a place in an NFL team "don’t come around very often.”

Rees-Zammit is not the first British rugby player to pursue a career in American football, following in the footsteps of Christian Wade.

The former Wasps player switched to NFL in 2018, but spent three seasons in Buffalo Bills' practice squad and has now returned to rugby to play for Racing 92.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.