- Rees-Zammit, 23, sensationally quit rugby in January to pursue an NFL career
- The Brit will reportedly be in Kansas City on Friday to officially join the Chiefs
- READ: Rees-Zammit speaks EXCLUSIVELY to Mail Sport about his NFL dream
By Oliver Salt
Published: | Updated:
Louis Rees-Zammit is on his way to Kansas City to officially become a Chiefs player after sealing a $884,000 move to the Super Bowl winners this week.
Rees-Zammit, the former Wales rugby star who quit the sport to pursue a career in American football, held contract meetings with several teams after taking up a place on the NFL international player pathway in January.
After impressing scouts, Mail Sport understands the 23-year-old has agreed terms with the Chiefs, meaning he is on the verge of joining a roster that includes Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.
And according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, he is heading to Kansas City today to iron out the final terms and put pen to paper on a three-year Chiefs contract, which includes some guaranteed money and a signing bonus.
Rees-Zammit is set to join the roster of the reigning back-to-back Super Bowl champions, who became the first team to retain the Vince Lombardi Trophy for almost 20 years last month.
Louis Rees-Zammit is on his way to Kansas City to officially become a Chiefs player today
The 23-year-old stunned the world of rugby in January when he stepped away from the game
Now he is set to pursue a career in the NFL after agreeing to join the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce
The British youngster is also understood to have visited the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos after making a superb impression at the IPP with his pace and power.
In the end he opted for Kansas City, where he will undergo a summer training camp before the 2024 season begins in September.
When Rees-Zammit quit rugby in January, it caused disbelief – the announcement came around two weeks before his Wales team started their Six Nations campaign against Scotland, where he would have been key figure.
But in a scarcely believable turn of events, he now looks set to be lining up at Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs from September.
Andy Reid’s team were propelled to global fame last season when star man Kelce began dating Taylor Swift – with music’s biggest star cheering the team on in-person at 13 games, including the Super Bowl in Vegas.
Rees-Zammit will not be joined in the US by his YouTube-star girlfriend Saffron Barker after the pair announced their split last week.
It comes just four months after the social media star and the sportsman made their first red carpet appearance together at The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes world premiere in November.
Rees-Zammit impressed NFL scouts at the International Player Pathway (IPP) pro day and is said to have visited several teams
But he will not be moving to Kansas City with YouTube-star girlfriend Saffron Barker after the pair announced their split last week
The Chiefs were propelled to global fame last season when Kelce began dating Taylor Swift
Unsurprisingly, Rees-Zammit’s rapid speed is understood to have impressed an array of NFL scouts.
He posted a 4.43 time in his 40-yard dash at the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP) pro day, as well as a 9ft 7in broad jump and 29-inch vertical jump.
And on Monday, it was announced that the ex-rugby player had signed a deal to be represented by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
Rees-Zammit has ambitions to play as a wide receiver – the one problem area for the Chiefs last season – as well as a running back and special teams. Exactly how Chiefs head coach Reid devises using him will be a great source of fascination over the coming months.
