Louis Rees-Zammit appears unlikely to make the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man roster ahead of the new NFL season.

The 23-year-old featured in the Chiefs’ final pre-season game against the Chicago Bears last Thursday, producing his best performance so far in an NFL uniform so far with four carries for 21 yards and a kickoff return for 36 yards. Confirmation of Rees-Zammit’s future role with the team this year expected on Tuesday.

He could be placed on the team’s practice squad — a reserve group of 17 players who can be called up to the active roster at any time and also be signed by other teams to their active rosters — or be granted an international exemption roster spot, meaning he could remain with the Chiefs’ main roster but not count as part of the main 53.

‘He’s a heck of an athlete’

Andy Reid, the Chiefs’ head coach, discussed Rees-Zammit’s efforts after the game against the Bears, noting that the plan had been to give him more touches and praising his athleticism.

“We tried to get him the ball a little bit tonight, and he had some real positive yards,” Reid said.

“That’ll be good for him to see and study himself on that, in live action like that. He’s a heck of an athlete. It’s just a matter of getting more familiar with it as he goes here. We’ll see how everything works out for him.”

Rees-Zammit had never played American football before joining the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program earlier this year after he quit rugby in January, before signing for the Chiefs on a three-year deal in March worth $2.85 million (£2.2m). 

Throughout the team’s training camp this summer he has been used as a running back while also featuring on special teams as a kick returner, while also taking kickoffs himself.

NFL teams are now reducing their rosters from the current maximum of 90 players down to 53 ahead of Tuesday’s deadline, with the new NFL season beginning next Thursday when the defending champion Chiefs host the Baltimore Ravens.

Rees-Zammit’s predecessor when it comes to rugby-NFL crossovers, Christian Wade, spent two seasons on the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad, notably scoring a touchdown in a pre-season game back in 2019 against the Indianapolis Colts.