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The NFL has voted on whether to allow players to represent Team USA or other nations at the 2028 Olympics, where Flag Football is set to make its debut on the program
16:24 ET, 20 May 2025Updated 16:49 ET, 20 May 2025
Flag Football has been used as the centrepiece of the Pro Bowl Games over the last few years (Image: Getty Images)
NFL owners officially voted to permit players to take part in Flag Football at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, the vote passed 32-0. NFL owners officially approved the resolution to allow players to participate in flag football as the sport makes its debut in the Olympics, and the NFL’s answer to the NBA’s iconic Dream Team is now set to take place.
The 1992 Barcelona Olympics famously featured a star-studded Team USA, with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and more icons teaming together to win gold. The NFL’s own iteration will take to the field in Flag Football – as they have done at the Pro Bowl recently – following the 2027 league season.
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The approved resolution allows the NFL to work with the NFL Players Association, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), and the relevant Olympic authorities to implement rules governing the participation of league players. Olympic rosters will be selected by each countries’ National Olympic Committees; only one player on each NFL roster can try out for a given country’s Olympic team, which means multiple players on the same franchise could compete so long as they represent different countries.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “It’s an incredible honor for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport. I know first-hand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage. We are thrilled that they will now have that chance.”
The Olympic flag football competition will consist of six men’s teams and six women’s teams. Teams will be comprised of 10 players per team, with the game itself taking on a five-on-five format.
According to terms agreed on Tuesday, NFL player participation with their countries’ national flag football teams will begin with a tryout or qualification process in advance of the Olympic competition. NFL Players Association Executive Director Lloyd Howell, Jr. said: “Players have expressed to us a great desire for the honor of competing in the Olympics, and we’re excited that our members will be able to represent their country on the highest international stage.
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Many NFL players are set to express interest in taking part in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles(Image: Getty Images)
“We look forward to working with the league, IFAF, and Olympic authorities on the terms of their participation to ensure players who compete will do so with protections to their health, safety, and job.”
Flag Football is governed worldwide by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), which has 75 national member federations spanning every continent. The IOC-recognized body hosted the IFAF Flag World Championships recently, which featured a record 31 nations taking part.
Plenty of NFL players have expressed interest in taking part in the Olympics. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes admitted he was interested in representing the United States, although conceded he’d be 32 at the time.
“NFL football, American football, has taken to further parts, all the way across the world, with flag football coming to the Olympics,” Mahomes said in November 2023, per Olympics.com.
“I think it’s really cool because football is a great game that has given me so much and I want to make sure everyone gets the same experience that I got growing up.
“I definitely want to, but I’ve seen some of those guys play the flag football and they’re a little faster than I am. I know there’s not, like, linemen blocking for you. I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I can still move around then, I’m going to try to get out there and throw the football around maybe in LA. Just don’t tell Coach [Andy] Reid or [Brett] Veach or anybody.”
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