JJ Watt claims NFL's kickoff rule change is the reason why the Chiefs signed Louis Rees-Zammit as he warns 'it's going to be hard' for the former Welsh rugby star to win a roster spot

With equal excitement and skepticism surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs' signing of Louis Rees-Zammit, JJ Watt chimed in on the rugby star's move to the NFL.

On March 29, the reigning Super Bowl champions confirmed the signing of the 23-year-old for a reported $870,000-a-year contract. The Welsh ace had recently quit rugby to embark on the NFL's International Player Pathway in January.

On the latest edition of the Stick to Football podcast, Watt claimed the Chiefs signed the ex-rugby star as it would be advantageous given the NFL's recent kickoff rule changes. However, he noted the difficulties Zammit will face during his transition into American football.

'With Louis Rees-Zammit, the rugby player who has been signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, it's big news,' he told the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet. 'He's strong and looks amazing. They're doing a big reveal on it, which is funny because I saw a meme on it recently that they're doing a reveal for a guy who is going to be fighting for a roster spot.

'The NFL has just changed the kickoff rules, so I think that's part of why they've signed him as he has experience in this. As rugby has a similar style running system where the kickoffs might play, but there is no guarantee he's going to be a slam dunk but he's absolutely going to make it, at least from the little that I know about it.

JJ Watt claimed that the Chiefs signed Louis Rees-Zammit due to the NFL's kickoff rule change

The Wales rugby star, 23, embarked on the NFL's International Player Pathway in January 

Zammit signed a three-year deal with the reigning Super Bowl Champions late in March 

Watt played 12 seasons in the NFL with three Defensive Player of the Year honors, five First-Team All-Pro selections, and five Pro Bowl appearances. Having spent most of his career with the Texans before joining the Cardinals in 2021, the retired defensive end shared his insight on making it in the NFL.

'The NFL is such a cut-throat business, so it's going to be hard for him to make it, but we shall see. It's just because there's only 53 spots and you start the roster with 90 players, so that means you're cutting all those guys to get down to 50 and means the teams don't care who they're cutting. At the beginning of training camp, every team starts with 90 players and then by opening day, you have to get to 53.

'For the players who don't make it, a lot of them go home. They get paid for a couple weeks of training camp, but that's it. Most guys think that's the dream, with a lot of people saying that they played in the NFL for a cup of coffee because they came in for their four-week training camp, got cut and they never actually played in a real NFL game.

Watt also addressed the parallel between the Premier League and the NFL, touching on the ever-present question of how athletes would do if they were to switch sports.

'My wife and I have conversations all the time, her obviously being a professional football player and myself in the NFL, and we talk about the overlaps and the different types of athleticism required. And we recently spoke about Erling Haaland and were saying, could NFL players with five years of training, come over and make it in a professional team, I'm not saying to play for the top teams, but make a professional squad and vice versa. If you give Haaland five years to train in the weight room and learn, could he come and do something in the NFL? It was a fascinating debate that we got into.

JJ Watt played 12 seasons in the NFL between the Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals 

Zammit took contract meetings with several teams in the NFL before landing with the Chiefs 

Additionally, he weighed in on how the leagues differ in handling player contracts and when athletes can get released.

'That's another big difference between the Premier League and the NFL, is that any point throughout our season, you can get cut,' Watt told the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet. 'It could be week seven of the season, and you could get cut, but you could also get picked back up the next week by the same team or a different team. Whereas in the Premier League, you're on a team until you get to the transfer window, so it's very different.'

Zammit reportedly took contract meetings with several NFL teams before landing his three-year deal with Kansas City. In a recent appearance on the Rugby Pod, Zammit acknowledged the cut-throat nature of the NFL but reinstated how he is ready for the challenge.

'As a rookie, you sign a three-year deal and you get guaranteed money. So if you get injured or you get cut, you're still guaranteed that money,' Zammit said.

'But you can get cut at any point so it's bit of a cut-throat sport. I could go to pre-season now, not do well, and just get cut straight away.

'You're not guaranteed the three years at all – and no one is. I just need to make the 53-man squad now. I'm ready to show everyone what I can do.'

JJ Watt was speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet.