Wales rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit has taken a step closer to realising his long-standing ambition of competing in the NFL by signing a three-year deal with Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs.

Here the PA news agency examines the key questions around his move.

So Rees-Zammit is now an NFL player?

Not yet – and this is where the hard work really begins. Having impressed on the NFL’s international player pathway (IPP) program, the 23-year-old former Wales wing has secured a place on the Chiefs’ practise squad and must now prove he is worthy of selection for their active 53-man roster ahead of the new season, which begins on September 5. Even if he fails to make the initial cut, rules allow for an international player to be elevated to the active roster three times in a season.

What will be his position?

It is still early days but there are a number of options – running back, wide receiver, a hybrid of the two and kick returner. The last of these offers his best route into the NFL, at least in the early stages. Rule changes for the upcoming season have been designed to increase the number of kick returns and it is here that Rees-Zammit’s instinctive running skills, identification of gaps in the defence and athleticism will find their natural home. Apart from the presence of blockers and having to wear extensive padding, it would be the closest he comes to playing rugby on a gridiron field.

What are the odds of making it?

Even for a player with the physical attributes of Rees-Zammit, it will be incredibly hard to actually break through into the NFL. His speed over 40 yards, footwork and hands are valuable assets, but he is competing against rivals who have grown up playing a sport which is new to him. The instincts honed from gridiron exposure at an early age will be missing, while other aspects such as running routes, learning the playbook, experience of a different size ball and adapting to a whole new sporting culture are also obstacles to be navigated. Successfully swapping codes between rugby league and union is a challenge, never mind adapting to a new game altogether.

Which other rugby union players have made it?

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From these shores, none. Christian Wade is the highest-profile example after he was recruited for the Buffalo Bills in 2019, also via the IPP. The electric former Wasps wing made an impressive start by scoring a stunning 70-yard touchdown in a pre-season game but he never made the active roster and returned to rugby union in 2022 by signing for Racing 92. Australian-born Hayden Smith and well-travelled Kenyan Daniel Adongo actually made appearances in the NFL, but only a handful between them. If Rees-Zammit is a success, he will be the first.

What happens if the move does not work out?

Moving to the NFL is a win-win scenario for the former Lions and Gloucester sensation. If he makes an impact for the Chiefs, he will become a superstar in British sport. Should it prove too hard a conversion even for an athlete of his quality, he can return to rugby knowing clubs will be queuing up to sign a finisher who has plundered 14 tries in 32 caps for Wales. And if he sees out his Chiefs contract, he will still only be 26-years-old.

Kansas City police said multiple people were struck after shots were fired as the Chiefs celebrated their Super Bowl success in front of a large crowd.

A video on social media showed armed officers rush into Union Station on a day supporters gathered near the building at the end of the NFL side’s parade route.

The Kansas City Police Department confirmed two armed people had been taken into custody following the incident.

A statement said: “Shots have been fired around Union Station. Please leave the area.

“Shots were fired west of Union Station near the garage and multiple people were struck. We took two armed people into custody for more investigation.

“Anyone nearby needs to leave the area as quickly and safely as possible to facilitate treatment of the shooting victims. Please avoid the Union Station parking garage area to allow first responders through.”

Kansas City Chiefs players and staff were celebrating beating the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas on Sunday to become the first back-to-back Super Bowl champions in 19 years.

The Kansas City Chiefs have become back-to-back Super Bowl winners for the first time in 20 years with a 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas.

Needing a field goal to extend the game or a touchdown to win, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes orchestrated the match-winning drive to end the game with a touchdown pass to Mecole Hardman Jr.

The 49ers were leading by three in overtime after they opted for a field goal to go ahead 22-19, but were unable to get the decisive stop.

It was the second time in NFL history a Super Bowl went to overtime and the first post-season game decided under the league’s new overtime rules.

Mahomes finished with 333 throwing yards, two touchdowns and 66 running yards, while 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy threw for 255 yards with one touchdown.

The only points in the first quarter came through kicker Jake Moody, who made Super Bowl history with the longest made field goal at 55 yards.

Disaster struck 49ers’ linebacker Dre Greenlaw early in the second quarter when he went down with a suspected Achilles injury while running onto the field and was immediately ruled out of the game.

But not long after, a special trick-play led to the first touchdown of the game, with Purdy passing across field to wide-receiver Jauan Jennings before he threw a pass to Christian McCaffrey who ran through to the endzone untouched.

The 49ers restricted Travis Kelce to just one touch for one yard in the first half and sacked Mahomes twice, with the 49ers ahead 10-3 at halftime.

Alicia Keys, Lil John and Ludacris joined Usher during the half-time performance, while Taylor Swift was among celebrities including Blake Lively, Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Jay Z watching from the stands.

As play resumed, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker broke Moody’s Super Bowl record with a 57-yard field goal before a fumble error gave the Chiefs a huge chance for their first touchdown.

Mahomes found wide-receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling with a 16-yard touchdown pass to take the lead for the first time in the game late in the third quarter.

However the 49ers hit back – with Purdy finding Jennings this time to score his own touchdown – however the bonus point was blocked, giving the 49ers a three-point lead with 11 minutes left.

A field goal to Butker tied the game once again, before Moody struck back to give the 49ers the lead again with less than two minutes left.

However, Butker finished regulation time with a field goal with six seconds left to tie the game 19-19.

The defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City Chiefs open the 2023 NFL season against the Detroit Lions on Thursday, and it's uncertain if All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce will be able to play.

Kelce hyperextended his knee during Tuesday's practice, putting his status in doubt for Week 1.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid did not provide any details about how the injury occurred during Kansas City's final practice ahead of the season opener.

Kelce has not missed a game to injury since his 2013 rookie season and has been indispensable to Kansas City's offense as Patrick Mahomes' favourite target.

Near the goal line, he is Mahomes' go-to receiver, as no player was targeted more in the red zone last season than Kelce with 30.

Widely considered the top tight end in the NFL, the 33-year-old caught a career-high 110 passes for 1,338 yards in 2022, his seventh straight season eclipsing 1,000 yards receiving. He also caught a career-best 12 touchdowns last season, giving him 69 in his career.

In Kansas City's march to the Super Bowl, he caught 27 passes for 257 yards with four touchdowns in three playoff games. He had six receptions for 81 yards with a TD in the Super Bowl.

Should he be forced to sit out, that could spell trouble for Kansas City given his familiarity with Mahomes and the fact the Chiefs are introducing several new receivers this year.

Noah Gray, who is listed as Kelce's backup on the depth chart, had 28 catches for 299 yards with a TD for the Chiefs last season.

The Chiefs are hopeful of having Kadarius Toney available for the opener after the wide receiver missed nearly all of training camp with a torn meniscus in his knee.

The Kansas City defense, however, will likely be without Chris Jones as the All-Pro defensive tackle has been holding out while trying to get a long-term contract.

Patrick Mahomes' focus is on "winning rings" and not making more money, as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback aims to cement his legacy as an NFL great.

Mahomes was the driving force yet again as the Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in the space of three years to cap the 2022 season.

The Chiefs beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Arizona, with league MVP Mahomes completing 21 of 27 passes for three touchdowns.

In the process, Mahomes, who was battling injury throughout the Chiefs' postseason, became the first player since Kurt Warner in 1999 to be crowned NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season.

Yet Mahomes, who became the NFL's highest-paid player when he signed a $450million, 10-year contract in 2020, is now only the seventh-highest-paid QB in the league when it comes to average annual salary.

The 27-year-old, though, is not concerned by money, even though the Chiefs have hinted they will look at improving his terms.

"I've always said I worry about legacy and winning rings more than making money at this moment," he told reporters on Wednesday, as quoted by ESPN.

"We see what's going on around the league, but at the same time, I'll never do anything that's going to hurt us from keeping the great players around me.

"So it's kind of teetering around that line.

"You just want to do whatever to not hurt other quarterbacks [financially]. Whenever their contracts come up, you want to keep the bar pushing [higher]."

Mahomes wants to find a sweet spot where he is earning a fair salary that also enables the Chiefs to retain other players who have proved crucial to their success.

He explained: "It's not about being the highest-paid guy; it's not about making a ton of money. I've made enough money that I'll be set for the rest of my life.

"But at the same time, you got to find that line where you're making a good amount of money but you're still keeping a lot of great players around you so you can win these Super Bowls and you're able to compete in these games.

"If you look at the greats in the league, they find that right spot where they're getting paid a lot of money but at the same time keeping a lot of these great players around.

"I understand you look at the team and you've got guys like Chris [Jones] and [L'Jarius] Sneed and even Travis [Kelce], all these guys that you need to keep around you to have these great teams. But at the same time, you want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."

The Kansas City Chiefs will begin defence of their Super Bowl title by hosting the upstart Detroit Lions as the NFL announced a few more select games on its 2023 regular-season schedule Thursday morning.

The league also revealed when and where Aaron Rodgers will make his highly anticipated debut with the New York Jets, who will host the AFC East-rival Buffalo Bills on Monday, Sept. 11 in a nationally televised primetime game on ESPN.

Detroit will visit Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 7 to officially start the NFL's 2023 campaign, with the game to be broadcast on NBC beginning at 8:20 p.m. ET.

The Chiefs will also be playing at home on Christmas Day with a matchup against their longtime AFC West foes, the Las Vegas Raiders. The NFL announced on Wednesday that the reigning champions will host the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year's Eve in a rematch of last season's conference championship game, which Kansas City won 23-20 on a late field goal.

Also announced is a clash between two of the NFC's marquee teams in Week 5, when the San Francisco 49ers will host the Dallas Cowboys in prime time on Oct. 8 as part of NBC's "Sunday Night Football" package.

The entire 2023 schedule for all 32 teams will be revealed Thursday at 8 p.m. ET. The NFL announced dates and times for eight games, including five International Series matchups that will take place in either London or Germany, on Wednesday.

Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes revealed he is still rehabbing the high ankle sprain that he battled through during last season's playoffs.

Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl LVII title with an MVP display in their 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on February 12.

The Chiefs QB dealt with the ankle issue throughout the postseason after sustaining the injury in their divisional round playoff win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Mahomes said he is back throwing to receivers and running backs but still working through the issue as the Chiefs commenced their offseason program on Monday.

"It's been more about just kind of managing it, getting the mobility back as best as I possibly can," Mahomes told reporters.

"I wouldn't say I'm 100 per cent. ... It's just when you go through a grind of a week of training and you're trying to push it and go through the rehab process.

"But at the same time you want to make sure you're still building, you might be a little sore on the weekends. But I think we've done a great job of pushing it to the right limit to where now I'm throwing.

"There will still be a little bit of limitations going the next few weeks, but I'm going to be happy with where I'm at and we'll keep pushing it and getting me to the right spot before the beginning of the season."

Mahomes did not require surgery on the high ankle sprain, which was different to a toe/foot injury two years ago that impacted his start to the corresponding season.

"The foot, with having the surgery and having that cast on it, it just really cut my mobility down a lot and so I had to really work through that even into the season that next year," Mahomes said.

"With the ankle, I've felt like we've improved, especially these last few weeks, a ton as far as the swelling. That went down finally. I don't have that soreness just as much as I was having it after a few days of work.

"With the improvements that we're making these last few weeks, I have a great feeling that by the time we get to training camp, it wouldn't even be any question at all. We'll continue to work through it.

"By OTAs [starting in May], I don't think there'll be any limitations on reps or anything like that, especially if I'm not running around a ton.

"But at the same time, we'll continue the rehab process and making sure by the time we get to training camp, I can just roll out there and feel perfectly fine."

Orlando Brown has provided protection for Patrick Mahomes for the last two seasons, but will now do the same job for Joe Burrow as he has been acquired by the Cincinnati Bengals.

After three seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Brown moved to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021, winning Super Bowl LVII last month.

According to reports, the four-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle has agreed a four-year deal worth $64million with the Bengals, including $43.5m guaranteed.

Brown's agent, Michael Portner, also confirmed to reporters that the deal includes a signing bonus of over $31m, the highest ever for an offensive lineman.

Cincinnati will be hoping Brown can provide some more efficient protection for Burrow, who was sacked 41 times in the 2022 regular season, while Mahomes was sacked just 26 times by comparison.

The 26-year-old switched from right tackle to left tackle when he moved from his hometown of Baltimore to Kansas City, so is likely to take the place of former first-round pick Jonah Williams.

Brown took to Twitter to re-post a clip from ESPN prior to him being drafted to the NFL in 2018 in which he was criticised, writing: "Put this on repeat, let it sink in. Been below the line. No stripes earned in this business from pretending. I'd bet the house on me and my work ethic. Can't wait to get to work!! @Bengals"

JuJu Smith-Schuster will join the New England Patriots after winning the Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

The wide receiver has agreed a three-year contract worth $33million to sign for the Patriots despite the Chiefs attempting to retain him, according to NFL Network.

"Excited for my next chapter in New England!" Smith-Schuster wrote on Twitter after the news broke on Wednesday.

"I will give this organisation everything I have, thank you for believing in me!"

Smith-Schuster had 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns with Kansas City in 2022.

He then grabbed seven catches for 53 yards as a thrilling Chiefs comeback saw them win Super Bowl LVII against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona, also drawing a crucial late holding penalty from James Bradberry.

Smith-Schuster spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers after being picked in the second round of the 2017 draft.

He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 after an impressive year that saw him record 111 receptions for 1,426 yards.

A shoulder injury impacted his last year in Pittsburgh but a productive season catching passes from Patrick Mahomes helped the 26-year-old to get his NFL career back on track.

Possession receiver Smith-Schuster was rated as one of the top pass-catchers available on the open market this offseason along with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jakobi Meyers.

He now joins a Patriots team that was in need of receiving talent, particularly after losing Meyers - their leading receiver for three straight seasons - to the Las Vegas Raiders.

As well as expressing his excitement over his free agency deal, Smith-Schuster showed gratitude to the Chiefs.

He added: "Thank you to Kansas City for the giving me the opportunity to come in and contribute to a Super Bowl, the most unforgettable experience of my life.

"I will always love my team-mates, the coaching staff, and the fans for being so great to me."

The Kansas City Chiefs moved quickly to find their new left tackle on the first day of the NFL's free agent negotiating window.

Having elected not to place the franchise tag on Orlando Brown Jr., the Chiefs agreed a four-year, $80million deal with Jawaan Taylor, according to multiple reports.

Taylor was the right tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars and, with the Chiefs also losing Andrew Wylie in free agency, would be a natural fit to play the same position for Kansas City.

But he will reportedly shift sides and take the spot vacated by Brown for the Super Bowl champions.

A second-round pick of Jacksonville in 2019, Taylor is coming off the best season of his career, one in which he helped the Jags to the Divisional Round of the AFC playoffs, where they lost to the Chiefs.

Taylor allowed a pressure rate of 5.8 per cent in 2022, ranking seventh among right tackles with at least 100 pass protection snaps.

He now faces the challenge of replicating that form on the left side. That is no easy feat for any offensive lineman, but playing for Andy Reid and in front of the reigning MVP in Patrick Mahomes, Taylor could not ask for a better situation in which to make the switch.

The Kansas City Chiefs have promoted Matt Nagy to offensive coordinator for the 2023 season, the team announced on Friday, filling the void created by Eric Bieniemy's departure.

Nagy is a longtime mentee of head coach Andy Reid and previously served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator from 2016-17.

Nagy was head coach of the Chicago Bears from 2018-21, compiling a 34-31 record and collecting honours as the AP's Coach of the Year in 2018.

After he and the Bears parted ways, Nagy returned to Kansas City last February as a senior assistant and quarterbacks coach, helping the Chiefs win their third Super Bowl in franchise history.

Bieniemy had served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator for the last five seasons before leaving this offseason for Washington, who named him their assistant head coach and OC.

Nagy has been professionally connected to Reid since 2008, when he joined the Philadelphia Eagles' staff as a coaching intern.

After playing quarterback for the University of Delaware, Nagy was not selected in the 2001 NFL Draft and ended up in the Arena Football League, where he threw over 300 touchdown passes from 2002-08.

Eric Bieniemy is content with his new role as offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders and insists he is not already looking for a head coaching opportunity.

Bieniemy has joined the Commanders after his second Super Bowl win in five years as the Kansas City Chiefs' OC.

Despite his success in that job, the 53-year-old repeatedly failed to land a position as an NFL head coach following a number of interviews.

It is something that will appeal to Bieniemy again in the future, he suggested, but his sole focus for 2023 is on the Commanders.

"Being a head coach right now is not in my thought process," Bieniemy said. "What I'm focused on is being the best coach today; everything else will take care of itself.

"I live in the moment. Right now, my feet are planted here.

"[Getting a head coaching job] hasn't happened. It's not anything that's going to impact me moving forward.

"All that stuff about being the head coach, we can talk about that next year sometime. I'm focused on the job at hand."

Bieniemy's Chiefs offense led the league with 413.6 total net yards per game in 2022 as the Commanders ranked 20th (330.3 yards per game).

That was merely the Chiefs' third-best season under Bieniemy in that regard, while their worst performance saw 379.2 yards per game in 2019 – a mark Washington have topped only four times in their history.

The Washington Commanders are working to finalise a deal to make Eric Bieniemy their offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.

Bieniemy has long since been considered one of the finer offensive minds in the NFL, but his success with the Kansas City Chiefs has not resulted in a head coaching job.

Working under Andy Reid, Bieniemy has served as the Chiefs' offensive coordinator since 2018, his schematic acumen helping Kansas City to two Super Bowl titles in his five seasons in the role.

Having won Super Bowl LIV in the 2019 season, the Chiefs reclaimed the title last Sunday with a thrilling 38-35 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Arizona.

That proved to be a swansong for Bieniemy, who was not under contract for 2023, with the Chiefs' play-calling crucial in setting up an injured Patrick Mahomes to engineer a comeback after Kansas City went into half-time trailing 24-14.

The Chiefs led the NFL in points and yards on offense in 2022, as they did in Bieniemy's first year as offensive coordinator in 2018.

He now looks set to be tasked with overseeing an offensive turnaround for the Commanders, who have finished in the bottom half of the NFL in yards and points in each of the last five seasons.

Bieniemy would appear to be making something of a sideways move, however, with Reid operating as a play-calling head coach in Kansas City, a switch to Washington to work for Ron Rivera offers the former running back a chance to have full control of an offense, while it will also be the first multi-year deal he has received as an offensive coordinator.

Speaking on Monday after the Chiefs' Super Bowl win, Reid said of Bieniemy: "I hope he has the opportunity to go somewhere and do his thing, and run the show and be Eric Bieniemy."

That opportunity has now arrived, and Bieniemy will surely not lack chances to make an overdue leap to a head coach position if he can transform Washington's offensive fortunes.

Super Bowl LVII MVP Patrick Mahomes insists the Kansas City Chiefs "ain't done yet" after claiming their second title from the past four seasons with Sunday's 38-35 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs celebrated with their fans on Wednesday with an open-roofed bus parade which culminated at Kansas City's Union Station.

Mahomes vowed on stage at Union Station to the crowd that the Chiefs were only just starting.

"I just want to let you all know that this is just the beginning," Mahomes said.

"We ain't done yet, so I'll make sure to hit y'all back next year and I hope the crowd's the same.

"We're back again. We're back again. Before we started this season, the AFC West said we were rebuilding.

"I'll be honest with you, I don't know what rebuilding means. In our rebuilding year, we're world champs."

Mahomes' latter comment was in reference to expectations that the Chiefs would slip from contention in the 2022 season with wide receiver Tyreek Hill traded to the Miami Dolphins and safety Tyrann Mathieu not re-signed among other changes.

Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has been vocal about those who wrote off the Chiefs and reiterated that sentiment, while insisting this was "the best season of my life" after a career-high 16 touchdowns from 20 starts inclusive of the regular season and playoffs.

"The haters were saying that the Chiefs would never make the playoffs. The haters were saying the Chiefs were done. Done," Kelce said.

"In all reality, this was the best season of my life. I owe it to you guys. I owe it to the guys on this stage. I owe it to everybody… Everybody's asking: Is this a dynasty? It's been a dynasty."

The Chiefs have made the AFC Championship Game in each of the past five seasons, winning on three occasions and losing the other two in overtime.

Philadelphia Eagles players rushed to the online defense of team-mate James Bradberry on Tuesday after Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster posted a Valentine's Day card mocking his Super Bowl opponent.

A holding penalty committed by Bradberry against Smith-Schuster ended up sealing the Chiefs' game-winning drive on Sunday, with fans and pundits almost universally slamming the borderline decision in such a crucial spot.

To his credit, Bradberry was asked for his thoughts immediately after the loss and he said he believed it was the right decision, although he was hoping the referees would not call it.

The budding rivalry between the Chiefs and Eagles got a shot in the arm when Smith-Schuster posted a fake Valentine's Day card on Twitter, with Bradberry's picture being accompanied by the words "I'll hold you when it matters most".

In response, top Eagles receiver A.J. Brown posted a response calling Smith-Schuster "TikTok boy".

It read: "First off congratulations, y'all deserve it. This is lame. You was on your way out the league before Mahomes resurrected your career on your one-year deal TikTok boy.

"He admitted that he grabbed you but don't act like you're like that or ever was. But congratulations again."

Meanwhile, five-time Pro Bowler Darius Slay – Bradberry's starting cornerback partner – also showed support to his team-mate.

He retweeted Smith-Schuster's tweet and commented "Come on naw bra… doin too much!" before also replying "big facts" to former star Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill calling Smith-Schuster a "front-runner".

Bradberry stayed out of the drama, instead just posting "ALL-PRO" after being named Second Team All-Pro this season, which Slay shared and added further support.

Slay wrote: "Y'all boys stay keeping my dawg name in y'all mouth. Bra don't bother nobody on or off the field… y'all lame! All-Pro JB."