Louis Rees-Zammit ‘not likely to be receiving touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes’ - Brian O’Driscoll

Brian O’Driscoll says Louis Rees-Zammit is “not likely to be receiving touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes” anytime soon but hailed the former Wales international for taking “the first step” on the road to realising his NFL dream.

Rees-Zammit, 23, has signed a three-year deal with back-to-back Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs after quitting rugby on the eve of this year’s Six Nations.

It was a decision that sent shockwaves through the sport and one that caught Wales head coach Warren Gatland off guard.

Rees-Zammit took part in a 10-week crash course through the International Player Pathway (IPP) to learn the skills required before impressing scouts with his pace and footwork at an NFL pro day earlier this month.

The ex-Gloucester winger is hoping to forge a career in a hybrid role with the ability to play as a wide receiver or running back, but could also be utilised as a kick returner on special teams.

He will now be competing for a spot on the 53-man roster for the upcoming season, which begins in September, but O’Driscoll tempered expectations.

“Let's not take anything away from him,” O’Driscoll said, speaking on TNT Sports' coverage of the .

“He’s in the training squad, which is 90 personnel. That will be whittled down to I think around 57.

“You would sense from the experts in NFL that it's unlikely that he's going to maybe feature a whole lot this year. If he does, it'll be in special teams.

“He's not likely to be receiving touchdown passes from Patrick Mahomes as many of us hoped he would be, but this is a slow process.

“It's the first step in a really, really difficult challenge for any player trying to transfer across to American football and he's done the initial part; can he keep going?”

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