Is Louis Rees-Zammit playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars in London?

Louis Rees-Zammit will be in London with the Jacksonville Jaguars but won't play during Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears, as the player is still on the practice squad

The Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) face the Chicago Bears (3-2) at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, but UK NFL fans won't get to see Louis Rees-Zammit in action unless there's a drastic roster move ahead of kick-off.

The Jaguars are preparing for their 12th NFL game in London after agreeing a partnership deal back in 2013, and now boast a British player in their ranks. Rees-Zammit, 23, was signed by the Jaguars on August 28 after being cut by the Kansas City Chiefs, and has since been added to their practice squad.

Due to being an international player, the Jaguars have more flexibility when it comes to keeping Rees-Zammit on the practice squad. He's yet to make his competitive NFL debut despite playing in preseason for the Chiefs, and hasn't been elevated to the active roster since moving to Jacksonville.

NFL teams can elevate up to two practice squad players to their 55-player game day roster. However, only 48 players can participate in the game, so seven players must be declared inactive.

While Rees-Zammit won't play in London, he will be more involved than in previous weeks. Practice squad players aren't allowed to travel with the team unless it's a special circumstance such as an international game, meaning Rees-Zammit will be in for a new experience this weekend.

Rees-Zammit is also not allowed on the sideline at home games, but can watch from inside the stadium. It's likely that Rees-Zammit will complete media activities too, with the NFL player becoming a major example to other internationals embarking on a career in American football.

The 23-year-old was an established rugby player until January of this year, when he announced his shock retirement from rugby union. Rees-Zammit was a Wales international and star receiver for Gloucester, but gave it up to take part in an intense 10-week training program in Florida and attempt to land an NFL contract.

Kansas City, the current Super Bowl champions, took a chance on Rees-Zammit and he began practicing alongside stars such as Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. The Chiefs didn't find space for Rees-Zammit when finalising their roster for the 2024 season, but the Jaguars were quick to claim him as a free agent.

Due to his position as winger in rugby, the Chiefs trialled Rees-Zammit as a running back in order to utilise his speed and power. Since joining the Jaguars he's been switched to a wide receiver, something Rees-Zammit is delighted with.

"I think I'm much better off playing receiver with my size and strength," Rees-Zammit said after a Jaguars practice in September. "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."