- Flag football is approved for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles as a discretionary sport, along with baseball, softball, cricket, lacrosse, and squash.
- The NFL and its Players Association are currently in talks to allow the players to participate at Los Angeles 2028, leading to comments from a US national flag-football team member.
- With the Olympics being held in the United States, there will be pressure not only to win, but to attract as much attention as possible.
You can’t wager on it yet at Olympic betting sites, but flag football is making an appearance at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. But will you see Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow donning the colors of the Stars and Stripes in 2028?
Various outlets are reporting that the NFL is in talks with the NFL Players Association, to potentially clear its players for Los Angeles 2028. Some NFL players have already stated that they want to play, while at least one current member of the US national flag-football team isn’t a fan of the idea.
Flag Football Accepted as Discretionary Sport; NFL Co-Partnered Bid
The road was paved for flag football to be included at the 2028 Olympics back in July 2022, when the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) teamed up with the NFL to propose this. The proposal was approved, along with cricket, lacrosse, softball, baseball, and squash, by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October 2023.
Since then, many NFL players have expressed a desire to play for the United States. Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow said on the popular sports podcast Pardon My Take that he would love to play on the team with former LSU teammates Ja’Marr Chase (who is also his current Cincinnati teammate), and Justin Jefferson.
Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young also helped push this along at the NFL Annual Meeting in April:
It would be perfect for NFL players as the 2028 Olympics take place from July 14-30, so there will be no missed time in terms of games. However, you can bet that a few of the NFL’s richest owners will be nervous sending their players out to play for someone apart from the NFL.
However, not everyone is happy with the NFL’s potential inclusion in flag football for Los Angeles 2028.
Doucette: It’s “Disrespectful” for NFL Players to Take Their Spots
Darrell “Housh” Doucette is the quarterback of the US national flag-football team, and as far as this sport goes, he’s quite accomplished. Bleacher Report revealed that he helped the Americans win gold at the 2021 World Championships and the 2022 World Games. He was also the MVP of the Americans Continental Championships in 2023.
In an interview with The Guardian, Doucette stated:
“I think it’s disrespectful that they just automatically assume that they’re able to just join the Olympic team because of the person that they are—they didn’t help grow this game to get to the Olympics. Give the guys who helped this game get to where it’s at, their respect.”
He’s not wrong. However, Doucette has to realize that this is also a business decision for the NFL. The Olympics is the biggest global stage, and this would be a chance for the NFL to increase their footprint around the world. They’re obviously interested in this aspect as the NFL paired with the IFAF to get flag football into the Olympics in the first place.
There still has to be plenty of discussions to be had, but it wouldn’t be a shock to anyone if you saw Mahomes throwing it to Tyreek Hill in Los Angeles in four years.
