What NFL’s decision on 2028 Olympics means for league, players

In a development that will certainly make other countries’ efforts to claim gold in flag football more difficult, the NFL voted unanimously to approve the measure (via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Although this will not greenlight unlimited participation among players, a formidable collection will be in line to take part in July 2028.

As referenced recently, the proposal will allow only one American player per NFL team to participate. A separate player per NFL squad could be sent to represent another country, however. Seeing as the majority of NFL players are Americans, Tuesday’s approval vote primarily impacts the host country’s approach to the new noncontact event at the Los Angeles Games.

This will not exactly rival the NBA’s famed Dream Team from the 1992 Games, as no restrictions on who could participate existed. The Bulls (Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen) and Jazz (Karl Malone, John Stockton) each sent multiple players as part of Team USA. Although, the flag format will present a five-on-five event. Six men’s and women’s teams will be part of the new discipline. Rosters will include 10 players in total, limiting the spots available to a flood of qualified performers.

The L.A. Games are set to run from July 14-30, which is on the earlier side for a Summer Olympics. That will help NFL players return on time — or soon after — to training camps. Players like Marquise Goodwin and Devon Allen have been on rosters while making an effort to book an Olympic or World Track and Field Championships squad in the recent past. A 2012 Olympian in the long jump, Goodwin, though, did not qualify for the 2016 or 2021 Games. Allen, a practice squad-level cog with the Eagles, only saw his NFL bid run in between Olympic years. Jeff Demps joined Goodwin as a London Olympian, being part of the 4×100-meter team. But the UDFA did not sign with a team — the Patriots — until after the Games concluded.

Teams will see some players arrive late to camp come 2028. Although, padded 11-on-11 work will not commence — for teams not involved in the Hall of Fame Game, that is — while the flag football event is being contested. A salary-cap credit will be put into place for any injured player, according to ESPN; this would presumably cover teams in the event of missed games only. A leaguewide insurance policy providing injury protection for players is also expected to be included in this agreement, a buildup our Adam La Rose has covered for over a year here.

Justin Jefferson will be one of the players, in all likelihood, in play to represent Team USA. The Vikings wideout has not decided if he will do so (via ESPN.com’s Brooke Pryor), though he has called it “a dream” to represent his nation in the Olympics. Patrick Mahomes, Mike Evans and Tyreek Hill have also expressed interest, though the two wideouts may have an uphill battle due to their respective ages. Generations of NFL players, barring select track and field standouts, have been unable to do so. Jockeying for spots at tryouts will be interesting when that time comes.

How other countries’ rosters look will be an interesting storyline to monitor, though with NFL players likely to comprise all of Team USA’s 10-man squad, the host nation will undoubtedly enter as the gold-medal favorite. Flag football, on the men’s and women’s side, has made notable inroads into the world’s sports lexicon in recent years; the revamped Pro Bowl Games provide perhaps the most notable example. Although this team is three years away from being assembled, the flag football event will be a regular talking point within the league until those Summer Games commence.