**Louis Rees-Zammit Embarks on Crucial Stage of NFL Journey with Jacksonville Jaguars**
Welsh sporting star Louis Rees-Zammit has entered a pivotal phase in his transition from rugby union to American football as he began pre-season training with the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a formative first year in the NFL, where he joined the Jaguars through the International Player Pathway programme following his shock departure from Welsh rugby in January 2024, Rees-Zammit now faces the significant challenge of proving he can thrive among elite American football professionals.
The Welshman’s early months in the NFL were largely spent learning the nuances of the sport from the side-lines, without making his competitive debut during the regular season. While the initial focus was clearly on adaptation rather than immediate impact, expectations have now taken on a sharper edge as pre-season gets underway and competition for roster spots intensifies.
Wednesday marked the official start of the Jaguars’ training camp, held at the Miller Electric Center in Florida, under the watchful eye of newly-installed head coach Liam Coen. With only a few weeks before pre-season fixtures commence, intensity levels at the opening session were already note-worthy despite the absence of full contact. According to onlookers, the 90-minute practice, although conducted without pads in line with NFL pre-season protocols, was rich in energy and purpose.
Insight from journalists embedded with the Jaguars underscored this sense of urgency. One reporter observed that, while the session was short, it did not resemble a typical ‘light’ practice. Instead, players—including quarterback Trevor Lawrence and his receivers, with Rees-Zammit among them—showed promising cohesion built through off-season training stints in both the Bahamas and Jacksonville. Early drills in both 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 formats suggested that the team’s preparation is already yielding dividends in terms of timing and teamwork.
NFL pre-season camps are deliberately structured to ramp up intensity over successive days. During this initial period, tackling is forbidden to reduce injury risk and allow players to get back into top physical condition. This careful escalation, agreed by the NFL Players Association and league officials, gives coaches the opportunity to evaluate fitness and skill levels before moving into full-contact scenarios.
From a depth chart perspective, Jaguars beat writer Paul Bretl provided his assessment of the team’s wide receiver options for the forthcoming campaign. Rees-Zammit currently features as the 11th receiver in the pecking order, ranked above a handful of others but still far from guaranteed a position on the final 53-man roster. This subtle nod in the rankings hints at the long road ahead for the former rugby star as he seeks to cement his standing within a highly competitive squad.
Prior to reporting for duty with Jacksonville, Rees-Zammit maintained his conditioning by working out alongside old Welsh rugby colleagues Liam Williams and Gareth Anscombe. The 23-year-old took time out for a short Maldives holiday with his partner, Drew Knotts, but has shifted focus squarely onto the demands of the American gridiron ahead of crucial pre-season tests.
The Jaguars are set to face the Pittsburgh Steelers in their pre-season curtain-raiser on August 10. Rees-Zammit, who will be hoping to earn valuable game time, will also have further opportunities to impress against the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. The squad’s final composition will be determined at the end of August, with Rees-Zammit’s International Player Pathway exemption temporarily bolstering his prospects.
Mindful of the ticking clock associated with such cross-code transitions, Rees-Zammit candidly acknowledged to talkSPORT that his NFL window may be relatively brief. He stated, “International players get probably two to three years to make it in the NFL, so I wanted to do it at a time where I maybe could come back to rugby.” With ambitions to establish himself stateside still burning, he remains conscious that his career could yet circle back to rugby—potentially while still at a prime athletic age.
As he stands at the beginning of this career-defining period in Florida’s summer heat, Rees-Zammit’s journey serves as a compelling case study in resilience and adaptability. The coming weeks will reveal whether his determination and work ethic can convert promise into genuine success in the world of American football.