Why Louis Rees-Zammit won’t make NFL debut this weekend despite signing for Jacksonville Jaguars
Louis Rees-Zammit was handed a lifeline after signing for the Jacksonville Jaguars but don't expect him to make his NFL debut anytime soon.
The former Wales rugby star was added to the Jags practice squad after failing to make the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man roster.
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Rees-Zammit was released by the reigning Super Bowl champions to end his bid to line-up alongside Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
The news came as somewhat of a surprise, with the Chiefs handing the 23-year-old a three-year deal in March after he successfully came through the NFL's International Player Pathway program (IPP).
Having now found his feet with the Jaguars, Rees-Zammit still won't be making his NFL debut against the Miami Dolphins, live on talkSPORT 2 this weekend, here's why...
Why won't Rees-Zammit make his NFL debut?
The Welshman has been added as the 17th member of the Jaguars' practice squad in one of the spots created for international players.
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Rees-Zammit is not part of the franchise's 53-man roster and would need to be elevated to the active roster to be eligible to play.
On game days, NFL teams can increase that to 55 players, but seven of those must be declared inactive 90 minutes before kickoff.
Each practice player can also only be elevated to the roster a maximum of three times during a season.
This all but rules out any possibility of the Jags using one of Rees-Zammit's three options so early in his burgeoning NFL career - especially as the Jags can only make two of their 17 practice squad players available against the Dolphins.
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To compound the issue, the former rugby wing is only settling on a new position having been listed as a wide receiver with the Jaguars.
Rees-Zammit was listed as a running back by the Chiefs and was used in three other different roles during pre-season - kick returner, kicker and as part of the punt coverage team.
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He showed glimpses of his potential in preseason games against his new Jaguars team, as well as the Detroit Lions, and Chicago Bears.
The most recent of which - a 34-21 defeat to the Bears - was his most encouraging performance so far, which featured four carries for 21 yards, including back-to-back carries of ten and four yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Rees-Zammit's role as the Florida-based Jaguars' new No. 84 will be to prepare the 53-strong squad for their games each week.
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He can still be signed by another team but only as a member of their active roster, but a season learning the ropes in the Jag's practice squad makes sense for both parties.
Doug Pederson's side have a strong presence in the UK and will play twice in London later this year.
This could be when LRZ makes a cameo upon his return to Great Britain, with the Jaguars playing Caleb Williams' Chicago Bears at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in October.
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They will then shift focus to Wembley Stadium a week later when they take on the New England Patriots.
The Jaguars are owned by Shad Khan, who also owns Premier League club Fulham, with Rees-Zammit's involvement potentially helping the Jags' international reach.
Rees-Zammit, who scored 14 tries in 32 appearances for Wales, only announced in January he was quitting rugby on the eve of his nation's Six Nations campaign.
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