Louis Rees-Zammit re-signs as wide receiver with Jacksonville Jaguars

Former Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has re-signed as a wide receiver with Jacksonville Jaguars, the BBC reported on Tuesday.

The deal means the Welshman can continue to strive for his ambition of appearing in the NFL after making the move from rugby union with Wales and Gloucester in January 2024.

Rees-Zammit, who has Maltese descent, will again compete among 90 players for a place in the Jaguars’ 53-strong squad for the NFL season, which starts in September.

The 24-year old can also stay a member of their practice squad because of rules around his transition via the sport’s International Player Programme.

He can also be twice promoted to an active NFL roster during the season without Jaguars losing one of their 53 regulars.

The former Wales wing was a free agent after the Jaguars opted not to sign him on a reserve/future contract, so he was able to negotiate with any team.

Rees-Zammit has a huge connection with Malta as his grandfather is Maltese by the name of Joseph Zammit while his brother Taylor made his debut for the Malta Rugby Union national team in 2021 against Slovenia.

Rees-Zammit shocked rugby union in January 2024 when he announced he was quitting the sport to enter the NFL’s international player pathway, a 10-week crash course designed to teach and assess aspiring players.

Initially signed to the Kansas City Chiefs for pre-season training, he moved on to Jacksonville last August and will now remain there for the next stage of his development.

Rees-Zammit scored 14 tries for Wales in 32 games. His last appearance for the national side was in the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Argentina, the first loss in what has become a record 14 consecutive Test defeats that led to Warren Gatland’s departure during the 2025 Six Nations.

The new deal also dismisses any notion that Rees-Zammit might return to rugby union in the near future.

Rees-Zammit has yet to feature in the NFL, but he played three pre-season games for the Chiefs and was in New Orleans to watch his former employers miss out on a third successive Super Bowl triumph.