Louis Rees-Zammit: What are rugby star’s NFL options after Chiefs roster cut?

Whether on a new team or on the Chiefs’ practice squad, Rees-Zammit will be part of an NFL franchise in 2024-25.

Even if he does not make a 53-man roster, he would earn a considerable amount of money by signing for an NFL team.

Last season, players on a practice squad had a yearly salary of £170,700 – just under £10,000 for each of the 18 weeks of the regular season.

That figure goes up if players have multiple years of experience, and increases significantly if they can secure a spot in a franchise’s 53-man roster.

In 2023, the minimum salary for first-year players was close to £600,000.

Even the salary of a practice squad player exceeds what most rugby players in the English Premiership would earn, although the leading players can also factor in additional payments from playing international rugby.

A report from 2022 showed the average salary in the English Premiership during the 2020-21 season was a little under £144,000 a year, and due to salary caps that figure will not have drastically increased since.

Premiership clubs unanimously agreed to cut the salary cap to £5m in the summer of 2020 in response to the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, but it is set to return to £6.4m next season.

What happens beyond this season for Rees-Zammit remains to be seen, but next summer could prove to be a similar story to this year.

Even if he sees no regular-season action this campaign, he will likely get more chances to impress at next year’s training camp and pre-season games.

Away from the field, Rees-Zammit and his brother – who has also moved to the United States – are looking to expand their sports drink business.

So as things stand, the former Wales and Gloucester man appears settled on the other side of the Atlantic.

There may be a return to rugby in the future, but not right now.