In the days since the IOC approved flag football for the 2028 Summer Olympics, a number of NFL stars have expressed interest in participating.
And it appears that the league is on board.
According to a new report from Front Office Sports, the league plans to work with key entities, including the NFL Players Association and national governing body USA Football, to create a pathway for players to play in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“We understand the desire,” NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly told FOS. “We think it’s a great opportunity, because the player interest is real and palpable. There’s a desire to work through with these stakeholders and get to that outcome for July [2028].”
Among the current NFL players to express interest in participating in the 2028 Summer Games have been Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Dallas Cowboys defender Micah Parsons. Former NFL stars Rob Gronkowski and Dez Bryant — who will each be 39 years old in 2028 — have also stated a desire to play.
“Clearly in the leadup to the announcement, and then [Monday], there was a lot of excitement, as you might expect, from great NFL athletes and NFL legends who love the idea of representing their country on an Olympic stage,” O’Reilly said.
Additionally, O’Reilly revealed that the league is planning for the flag football schedule at the Olympics to coexist with the NFL’s own schedule. The Olympics in Los Angeles are scheduled to take place from July 14 to July 30 in 2028, while teams typically report to training camp in mid-t0-late July.
While plenty can change in the next five years, it will certainly be interesting to see how much of a “Dream Team” the United States’ first Olympic flag football squad winds up being. American Football, in any form, hasn’t been a part of the Olympics since 1932, when it served as a demonstration sport.
