The Jacksonville Jaguars has signed former Welsh rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit to its active roster, the NFL team announced on Monday.
The team listed Rees-Zammit as a wide receiver. He was not promoted to Jags’ active roster this year — his first season in the league.
Rees-Zammit stepped away from rugby ahead of last year’s Six Nations to join the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) — a scheme which helps elite athletes transition to the NFL and offers them a platform to win a contract with one of the franchises.
He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a running back by the Chiefs on a three-year deal last March but was waived by them in August. He then signed to the Jaguars’ practice squad.
Rees-Zammit had been free to sign for another team as his deal had expired. However, his latest contract means he is set to stay at Jacksonville this offseason as part of its 90-man roster, which will be filled with free agents and draft picks over next few months.
The Jags also promoted quarterback John Wolford from its practice squad.
The news of Rees-Zammit’s re-signing with the Jags comes weeks after since-departed Wales rugby head coach Warren Gatland said he would welcome him back to the sport.
“My understanding is he has an approach in terms of being retained by Jacksonville. I don’t know about that. Whenever he wants to come back, he’d be more than welcome back in the fold,” Gatland said last month.
Information from ESPN’s Jacksonville Jaguars reporter, Michael DiRocco, contributed to this report.