Why Rees-Zammit’s Shocking NFL Exit Signals a Bold Rugby Comeback

And on Thursday, Rees-Zammit announced his decision to leave the NFL and return to rugby.Reports out of the Jaguars’ training camp in July suggested Rees-Zammit had missed training with a lower back injury, and his future with the franchise was placed in doubt.His former club, Gloucester, return to Premiership action on 25 September, while the United Rugby Championship season starts the following day.”There’s only one thing that’s on my mind, that’s coming back to rugby and doing what I do best.

The former Gloucester wing, capped 32 times by Wales and a tourist with the British & Irish Lions, has not yet confirmed which rugby club he will be joining.Louis Rees-Zammit’s journey has taken a surprising twist that caught many of us off guard. After stepping away from rugby union nearly 18 months ago to chase the dream of American football, the 24-year-old wing is calling it quits on the NFL—without having played a single regular-season snap—and is gearing up to dive back into the rugby world he once dominated. From brief stints with the Kansas City Chiefs and a season-long practice squad tenure with the Jacksonville Jaguars, his American football chapter didn’t unfold as hoped. Yet, with 32 caps for Wales and a British & Irish Lions tour under his belt, Rees-Zammit’s return to rugby promises to reignite his passion and put his electrifying talent back where it belongs. While the details of his next club remain under wraps, there’s an unmistakable buzz about what lies ahead for this Welsh dynamo. LEARN MORE.Despite being eligible for elevation to the Jaguars’ active 53-man roster on two occasions as part of the NFL’s IPP player rules, the Jaguars never opted to elevate Rees-Zammit, including at both of their international games in London.

Rees-Zammit then joined the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he spent the entire 2024 season as part of the franchise’s practice squad.”I can’t explain how excited I am.”The decision comes 18 months after the 24-year-old initially quit rugby to pursue a career playing American football.After participating in the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP), Rees-Zammit was initially signed to the Kansas City Chiefs, but was cut after failing to impress during pre-season appearances in 2024.Rees-Zammit had spells with the Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars, but did not play a snap in a regular-season game.Before leaving rugby union in January 2024, Rees-Zammit was a Six Nations winner and toured with the Lions.The Welshman temporarily left the franchise at the end of the 2024 season, but was soon re-signed as part of the expanded off-season roster.”I’ve decided to leave the NFL and return to rugby,” wrote Rees-Zammit in a social media post.