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It’s official: NFL players will be allowed to participate in the flag football event at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
A sport thoroughly dominated by the U.S. will get a chance to showcase its brightest stars on the biggest international stage in sports. The NBA got its chance in 1992 and the result was the Dream Team. Now, football fans everywhere can start drawing up their own NFL Dream Teams.
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Of course, whether or not each individual player is interested in playing a somewhat different sport is rather important. The 1992 Dream Team had pretty much every player interested in joining up, from Michael Jordan to, er, Isiah Thomas. In the NFL’s case, though, there’s already one former MVP who has said he’s fine sitting this one out.
It’s also important for roster building to know that each country can only get one player from one NFL team each. So, for example, you can’t pair Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase on Team USA.
Justin Jefferson is one of many NFL stars already lining up for a spot on Team USA’s flag football squad in 2028. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
(Lauren Leigh Bacho via Getty Images)
Here is what every NFL star we can find is saying about their intentions for 2028.
Which NFL players want to compete in the 2028 Olympics?
Tyreek Hill
Perhaps the first big “yes” we saw, and still one of the loudest. Hill directly stated his interest in playing as soon as the International Olympic Committee added flag football to the 2028 program, and he still seems down two years later.
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Adding Hill’s speed to the team is one of the most salivating prospects of a Team USA with NFL stars. Just imagine, you’re a veteran flag football player and across from you is Tyreek Hill, the guy who easily outruns the majority of NFL defensive backs, and you’re not even allowed to jam him.
That alone would be worth the price of admission for many, especially if the guy throwing the passes is…
Patrick Mahomes
The three-time NFL champion would be 32 when the 2028 Olympics roll around, but it’s hard to see his talent going away that quickly. Mahomes on Team USA would add one of the greatest quarterbacks ever, with an arm tailor-made for hitting receivers downfield.
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Mahomes signaled his interest not long after Hill, so a Kansas City Chiefs reunion could be very much in the cards.
Joe Burrow
Another big quarterback interested, Burrow said Tuesday he’d “love to” participate, but added the caveat he’s not sure how it would line up with training camp.
Justin Jefferson
One of the best wide receivers in the NFL has already taken an ambassador role for the flag football team, so safe to say he’s in.
Bijan Robinson
Travis Hunter
Myles Garrett
Brian Branch
Zaire Franklin
Christian Gonzalez
This entire group of stars, plus Hill and Jefferson, all appeared in an NFL hype reel posted Tuesday talking about how excited they are about 2028. Again, probably a good sign they’ll be trying out.
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Robinson is one of the most exciting ballcarriers in the NFL, while Hunters’ two-way game seems like it would translate well. Garrett, Branch, Franklin and Gonzalez all made the Pro Bowl or All-Pro teams last year on defense and add defensive firepower at every level (though strength up front won’t matter much since blocking isn’t really a thing in flag football).
Jalen Hurts
The reigning Super Bowl MVP took a starring role in another NFL video last year, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Micah Parsons
Parsons has built a career on beating blockers, but his otherworldly athleticism could still give him a role on Team USA. As he said in 2023, he wants to win a gold medal.
Mike Evans
The future Hall of Fame wide receiver would be 35 years old when the Olympics hit, but he said a few months ago he would be down as long he’s retired by then.
Aaron Jones
The veteran Minnesota Vikings running back is also definitely interested, as he told ESPN on Tuesday.
Jahmyr Gibbs
This one we’re a little less sure about. The Detroit Lions running back looked like perhaps the best runner in the league at the end of last season and wants in on 2028, as long as he can face teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown, who might be playing for Germany, where he has citizenship.
Kyle Hamilton
One of the best safeties in the NFL is also interested in playing, but apparently for the South Korean team. Hamilton’s mother is Korean.
Which NFL players aren’t interested in the 2028 Olympics
Lamar Jackson
Now this is just disappointing, but we’re also going to note something very important: Quarterbacks cannot run the ball in this version of flag football. So as fun as watching the Baltimore Ravens star juke defenders into dust sounds, this isn’t an area where he can use his loudest talent.
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Anyway, Jackson said last year he’s fine sitting this one out.
A.J. Brown
Another key member of last season’s Super Bowl champs, Brown made very clear on Tuesday he’s not going to give up part of training camp to chase glory in Los Angeles.
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