Dave Toub Provides Mixed Progress Report on Louis Rees-Zammit

Toub is impressed with what Rees-Zammit has done thus far, although he also reminded everyone of the reality of his unique situation.

Feb 12, 2023; Glendale, Arizona, US; Kansas City Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub against the Philadelphia Eagles during Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

How is Louis Rees-Zammit looking at Kansas City Chiefs OTAs? Great, according to one of his main coaches, but there's a catch.

Rees-Zammit, a former rugby star, is new to life in the NFL but is already endearing himself to Kansas City on and off the field. At practice, the 23-year-old is tasked with fulfilling multiple roles and finding a way to make the 53-man roster later this year. As an International Player Pathway Program alum, the odds are stacked against him but the league designed the process to make said path possible.

So far, so good for Rees-Zammit... again, with a twist. Addressing the media on Thursday, assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub spoke glowingly about his rookie chess piece. At the same time, however, he reminded everyone that there's an abnormal road of progress ahead.

"Louis has done above and beyond what I expected," Toub said. "He can kick field goals, he can kickoff, he can be a kickoff guy for us. He's every bit as good as Justin (Reid) is at moving the football and stuff like that on kickoffs. And he's really working hard at the returner job. I've got him in there as a starter right now so he gets as many reps as he can. He's a student of the game — he comes in after practice, he wants to be great, he's a great athlete.

"He's just got such a long way to go football mentally-wise. I mean, these guys have been playing since fourth grade and he hasn't played football until now, so there's a long way to go with that part of it. But he's on the accelerated program, he's doing well."

Last weekend, Mark Van Sickle of Arrowhead Report on SI.com wrote about Rees-Zammit's profile and why he's such an intriguing player to watch moving forward.

"While there will be plenty of doubters, Rees-Zammit could be an exciting story to follow," Van Sickle wrote. "Training camp and preseason games should give fans plenty of opportunity to see him in action before the Chiefs make a decision on whether or not to keep him on the active roster. Given the three-year contract, the Chiefs feel like Rees-Zammit could have an impact."

Toub's acknowledgment of Rees-Zammit's initial prospects is a positive sign. Perhaps he set the bar low and is merely surprised, but it's far better than the alternative. Additionally, it isn't as if Rees-Zammit is only a special teams piece. Initial expectations included a possible receiver role, although he's listed as a running back on the roster and will likely compete more there. Special teams — kicking off or returning — could be his meal ticket to a role on offense if he makes the team.

Being a good athlete and possessing versatility is nice, but picking up the game is another thing. That's where Rees-Zammit has a ton of room for growth. Being a good student on the practice field and in the classroom must translate to in-game success for the hype to be justified. If Toub's assessment is accurate, though, the rookie is on his way to making it happen.

There's just a learning curve he'll have to keep working to stay ahead of.

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