{"id":54994,"date":"2025-08-09T08:44:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:44:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/54994\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T08:44:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:44:08","slug":"an-american-dream-dashed-why-louis-rees-zammit-called-time-on-nfl-adventure-nfl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/54994\/","title":{"rendered":"An American dream dashed: why Louis Rees-Zammit called time on NFL adventure | NFL"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhen you\u2019re super talented and have options, you do what is best for you,\u201d is how former New York Giants cornerback Jason Bell explains Louis Rees-Zammit\u2019s unexpected return to rugby union from the NFL<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Less than a week after Rees-Zammit\u2019s sudden announcement that he is leaving Jacksonville Jaguars on the eve of the 2025 season, the Wales coach, Steve Tandy, all but named him in his first squad for the forthcoming Autumn Nations games against Argentina, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa, describing his impending return as \u201ca great boost to the game, to fans and to coaches\u201d.<\/p>\n

The initial explanation for the premature end of Rees-Zammit\u2019s American dream last week was that it was down to a combination of bad luck, injury and the sacking of the Jaguars\u2019 coaching staff who recruited him from Kansas City Chiefs during the close season. Just a few months ago he appeared determined to stay in the NFL<\/a> for at least one more year. \u201cI didn\u2019t leave rugby just to try it for a year, people would be pretty dumb to think that I\u2019d leave straight away,\u201d he said in February.<\/p>\n

Rees-Zammit had made sufficient progress in Jacksonville to make their 90-strong training squad but the back injury sustained last month, which reduced his chances of making their 53-man active roster for the coming season, prompted a sudden reassessment. With head coach Doug Pedersen and his assistants having been dismissed in April, something else appears to have changed in the interim.<\/p>\n

As Bell implies, Rees-Zammit\u2019s options have been increasing elsewhere. In addition to the prospect of the rest of Wales following Tandy\u2019s lead by greeting him as a prodigal son, the 24-year-old is understood to have been approached to join R360, the proposed rebel league<\/a> whose backers have reportedly signed pre-contract agreements with 160 players in anticipation of a planned launch next year.<\/p>\n

While money has never been Rees-Zammit\u2019s main motivation \u2013 he has walked out on a \u00a3712,000 minimum salary at Jacksonville \u2013 the prospect of earning up to \u00a31m for a 12-game season in 12 months\u2019 time would have understandable appeal.<\/p>\n

Louis Rees-Zammit has speed and athleticism, but that isn\u2019t enough to stand out in the world of the NFL. Photograph: Nathan Ray Seebeck\/Imagn Images\/Reuters<\/p>\n

\u201cProfessional sport gives you a very short window,\u201d says Bell, who watched Rees-Zammit closely in training this summer preparing for his role as an analyst on Sky Sports. \u201cYou\u2019re always fighting Father Time.<\/p>\n

\u201cLouis should be very proud of himself. In the NFL<\/a> we celebrate players who can play two different positions. The fact he even attempted to play a totally different sport at the very highest level is amazing. This year he could have made the team from what I saw in training, you never really know.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m the wrong person to ask because I wasn\u2019t supposed to make it. I wasn\u2019t picked up in the draft, but ended up playing in the NFL for eight years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other experts disagree on whether Rees-Zammit ever really stood a chance of making it in the NFL. After successfully coming through a 16-week training camp run by the NFL\u2019s International Player Pathway last year, he signed a three-year contract with the Chiefs last summer, but after playing three pre-season games he was released to the Jaguars last August, before signing a new 12-month deal in February.<\/p>\n

For all his talent and speed, by NFL standards even his athleticism is not exceptional \u2013 the best time he recorded for the 40-yard dash at Kansas of 4.43 seconds is significantly slower than the 4.20 benchmark set by the Chiefs\u2019 fastest wide receiver, Xavier Worthy \u2013 while technically and tactically he was understandably off the pace.<\/p>\n

Louis Rees-Zammit didn\u2019t seem to find one position to call his own while he was in American football, one reason perhaps why his move there didn\u2019t really succeed. Photograph: Denny Medley\/USA Today Sports<\/p>\n

In retrospect, his debut friendly appearance for the Chiefs last August, coincidentally against the Jaguars who signed him a few weeks later, was symptomatic of the confusion surrounding the entire escapade, with the coaching staff unsure how to use him. Wearing a No 9 shirt he was used in four different positions \u2013 running back, kick returner, kicker and as part of the special teams on punt coverage \u2013 and contributed a total gain of four yards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Rees-Zammit is a fantastic athlete, but in terms of pace and athleticism, there\u2019s maybe 500 of those guys in Florida alone,\u201d says double Super Bowl winner turned BBC pundit Osi Umenyiora, who was born in London before enjoying a stellar NFL career with the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons. \u201cYou have to be superior athletically to be able to learn the game and then break through.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bell believes Rees-Zammit will return to rugby as a better player, having picked up new skills and matured as a person because of his once-in-a-lifetime experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will have learned different ways to attack people in the open field, different ways to attack in tight spaces,\u201d Bell says. \u201cHe has new skills that opponents in rugby won\u2019t have seen before. His mindset will have matured. He really stepped out of his comfort zone.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Gloucester\u2019s defence coach Dom Waldouck, who coached him for six years at Kingsholm, also praises his mentality but predicts that it will take time to readjust physically to the differing demands of rugby. The pair have stayed in touch during his NFL sojourn, with Rees-Zammit visiting the Gloucester dressing rooms at a Premiership game against Leicester last winter.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhysically he has changed a little bit,\u201d Waldouck says. \u201cThe athletic profile of NFL athletes is different to rugby players, so he\u2019s a bit bigger, more muscular.<\/p>\n

\u201cNFL is a very anaerobic sport, whereas rugby is more aerobic, so it will take some time for him to get back up to speed. But Louis is such a talented footballer that he\u2019ll be able to adjust. Rugby is in his blood so it shouldn\u2019t take him too long.<\/p>\n

Gloucester, where Louis Rees-Zammit played his club rugby, are believed to have first refusal on him if he returns to the Premiership. Photograph: Nigel French\/PA<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a failure, it\u2019s just a chapter in his life that is now closed. He has incredible self-belief, which he will have needed to go there in the first place. He has what I call a \u2018Championship mindset\u2019. He believes he is going to be great, and therefore he is great.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat mindset is super rare, even in elite sport. The human brain isn\u2019t designed to think like that, but he will be ready to rip and show rugby what they\u2019ve been missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former Wales and Lions winger Alex Cuthbert is less concerned about the physical transition that may be required, and is backing Rees-Zammit to make an impact as soon as he is playing again. His biggest challenge in the short term may be in securing a club contract, as with just six weeks until the start of the European season most budgets are already allocated.<\/p>\n

Gloucester are understood to have first refusal, but are already close to the salary-cap threshold, with neighbours Bristol believed to be exploring their options. The takeover of Newcastle Falcons by Red Bull<\/a>, as revealed by the Guardian in June, presents another intriguing possibility as the energy drinks company undoubtedly have the resources and crave association with global stars.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not even sure he needs a club to play for Wales,\u201d Cuthbert says. \u201cHe is exactly what Welsh rugby has been missing. It\u2019s been so negative in Wales for so long, but Louis will bring excitement off the pitch and an X-factor on it. He can be our Henry Pollock.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter 18 months in the NFL he will be a better professional, will be in better shape and will bring a huge number of casual fans with him. It\u2019s the perfect time for him to come back, as there\u2019s a new Wales coach and two years until the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWhen you\u2019re super talented and have options, you do what is best for you,\u201d is how former New…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":54995,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,593,85],"class_list":["post-54994","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54994","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54994"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54994\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54994"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54994"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54994"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}