Louis Rees-Zammit forced to follow strict rules as Jaguars play in UK today

The Jacksonville Jaguars face the Chicago Bears at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, but Louis Rees-Zammit is unlikely to be involved in the NFL game

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) are set to take on the Chicago Bears (3-2) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this Sunday, but UK NFL fans won't get a glimpse of Louis Rees-Zammit in action. The Jaguars, who have been playing NFL games in London since 2013 following a partnership agreement, now have British player Rees-Zammit within their ranks.

The 23 year old was signed by the Jaguars on August 28 after being released by the Kansas City Chiefs and has since joined their practice squad. As an international player, the Jaguars have more leeway in keeping Rees-Zammit on the practice squad.

Despite participating in the preseason for the Chiefs, he has yet to make his competitive NFL debut and hasn't been promoted to the active roster since his move to Jacksonville. NFL teams can promote up to two practice squad players to their 55-player game day roster.

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However, only 48 players can play in the game, meaning seven players must be declared inactive. While Rees-Zammit won't be playing in London, he will have a more active role than in previous weeks.

Practice squad players are typically not allowed to travel with the team unless it's a special circumstance such as an international game, which means Rees-Zammit is in for a unique experience this weekend, reports the Mirror.

Rees-Zammit is also not allowed on the sideline at home games but can watch from inside the stadium. It's expected that Rees-Zammit will fulfil media duties as well, with the NFL player setting a significant precedent for other internationals aspiring to make it in American football.

The game starts at 2.30pm UK time. It is being broadcast live on DAZN and NFL Game Pass International. Coverage is also available for subscribers on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports NFL.

The young star, aged 23, was an established figure in rugby until January this year when he took the sports world by surprise with his retirement from rugby union. A Wales international and shining star for Gloucester, Rees-Zammit chose to leave behind his career to participate in a rigorous 10-week training stint in Florida, hoping to secure a deal in the NFL.

Kansas City, the reigning Super Bowl champs, spotted Rees-Zammit's potential and welcomed him to practice alongside luminaries like Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. However, when it came time to finalise their roster for the 2024 season, Rees-Zammit didn't make the cut, but the Jaguars swooped in to sign him up as a free agent without delay.

Given his background as a winger in rugby, the Chiefs initially tested him out as a running back to capitalise on his explosive speed and strength. Since moving to the Jaguars, Rees-Zammit has been repurposed as a wide receiver—a move that pleases him greatly.

After a September practice with the Jaguars, Rees-Zammit shared his contentment, saying, "I think I'm much better off playing receiver with my size and strength," and adding, "I think that's probably a position that suits me a lot more."

"I think it was a good experiment to try running back out at the Chiefs, but I think we all realized that I'd probably be a receiver eventually, and here we are today. I'm loving training at receiver. I'm loving learning the role and I'm going to continue to improve."