League Moves Toward Olympic Participation
The NFL has heard the growing calls to involve its stars in the upcoming Olympic debut of flag football. NFL owners will discuss a resolution at next week’s Spring League Meeting that would allow NFL players to participate in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the league announced on Thursday.
The resolution would permit no more than one player from each team to participate in the 2028 Olympics, along with each team’s designated international player, which would also open the door for NFL participation on teams outside of the United States.
Supporting Growth and Global Reach
“The membership believes that participation by NFL players in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California will support such growth and advance several league interests. Including increasing fan and public interest in flag football, expanding the global reach of the NFL,” the resolution stated.
Since the announcement that flag football would be an official sport at the 2028 Olympics, fans around the world have been calling for the NFL to let its stars take the field on the global stage.
Steps Already Taken Toward the Olympics
The league had already taken preliminary steps in this direction when, in 2023, it reimagined the Pro Bowl into the Pro Bowl Games, which featured a marquee flag football event on Sunday.
Now, the NFL appears to be moving even closer to turning this into a reality. With the proposed resolution, the league can effectively assemble a “dream team” of NFL stars to represent Team USA, and potentially other countries, but with certain guardrails in place.
Key Provisions for Player Participation
The resolution includes specific rules for NFL player participation in the 2028 Olympic flag football competition:
- “Appropriate injury protection and salary cap credit” would be provided for any player injured while participating in “flag football activities related to the 2028 Olympic Games.”
- Olympic teams would be required to “implement certain minimum standards for medical staff and field surfaces.”
- The schedule for flag football games and associated events would not “unreasonably conflict” with a player’s league and team commitments.
Fans Dream of Star-Studded Olympic Rosters
If the resolution is approved, which would require 24 of the 32 NFL owners to vote in favor, it would likely spark a significant increase in interest in flag football. Fans would quickly begin imagining star-studded Olympic rosters, with the United States expected to lead in talent.
The NFL’s involvement would also extend beyond the 50 states, adding intrigue and excitement to the sport’s debut on the Olympic stage in 2028.
