What it means for Louis Rees-Zammit as Jacksonville Jaguars change his status from active

The Jacksonville Jaguars have changed roster status from Active to Exempt/International Player. The Welsh star initially signed for the in March 2024, however he became a free agent after being overlooked for the Chiefs' initial 53-man roster.

However, he soon after joined practice squad. Rees-Zammit, 24, also changed positions from running back to wide receiver to make the switch. Yet at the end of the 2024 season his contract was not renewed, and he was made a free agent. However, a few days after his termination, a new contract offer was made by the Jags for the 2025 NFL season, and in February, Jacksonville to the active roster. However his status has since been changed again, so what does this mean for the former Gloucester rugby star?

The NFL granted the Chiefs their single allotted roster exemption for an international player last year, and while many were expecting it to be Rees-Zammit, the spot ultimately went to Jason "Chu" Godrick.

The second-year offensive lineman spent the entire 2023 NFL season on the practice squad in Kansas City after being allocated to the team as part of the NFL's International Player Pathway program during the offseason.

The international exemption only counts during the offseason ahead of 53-man roster cuts. As part of a new rule introduced in 2024, all NFL teams are allotted a 17th spot on the practice squad for international players.

Those players can be elevated three times. However, no international exemption exists on the 53-man roster once the regular season begins.

The status change could mean that the Jags do hold Rees-Zammit in a high regard, and that the team feels good about his chances of making the 53-man roster. However it could also be that they're preparing for the eventuality that he leaves the franchise.

The International Player Pathway Program helps foreign-born football players reach the NFL. Since its inception in 2017, the program has provided athletes with an opportunity to compete at the NFL level and potentially earn a spot on an NFL roster.

The NFL has certain regulations for those coming through via the IPP. Each season, an NFL division is selected at random to participate in the program.

Designated teams are then allowed an extra offseason roster spot for the IPP player that is assigned to that team. At the end of training camp, IPP players can either be signed to their assigned club's 53-man roster or waived.

Players who clear waivers may be signed to their assigned team's practice squad using an IPP exemption that allows for an extra practice squad spot. As of 2024, more than half of NFL teams have signed international players to their offseason/practice squad rosters as a direct result of the IPP program, with several players making active rosters.

Three players whose careers started in the IPP program - Efe Obada, Jordan Mailata, and Jakob Johnson- have recorded over 1,000 career NFL snaps. While his NFL future may be up in the air, the 24-year-old insists he's going to do whatever it takes to forge a career in the sport.

"I never thought about that [quitting the sport]," Rees-Zammit told ESPN in February. "I'm not ready to give this up and, and I don't think I ever will be. I'm very grateful for this opportunity from the Jags to allow me to sign another contract and give it another go."