NFL Players In The Olympics? It’s A Touchdown For Both Organizations.

Take a moment and imagine Patrick Mahomes playing at the Olympics. Jalen Hurts throwing touchdowns on a field emblazoned with the Olympic rings. Taylor Swift supporting Travis Kelce from a luxury box at BMO Stadium decked out in red, white, and blue.

We could get all that and more at the 2028 Games, where professional football players have officially been cleared to try out for Team USA. NFL clubs voted unanimously Tuesday to allow players to compete in flag football as it makes its Summer Olympic debut, sparking starry-eyed fantasies of football’s version of the “Dream Team” dominating in Los Angeles.

The decision was taken at the clubs’ Spring League Meeting in Minnesota, where a resolution on the issue sailed over the line by a margin of 32 to 0. There are a few restrictions, namely that only one player per NFL team can be part of any national team, which still means that a single team could send multiple players to the Olympics as long as the men are competing for different countries.

Whether teams would actually want to do that is a different conversation. So is whether NFL players’ talents really translate to five-on-five flag football, which is not the same game as the pro version. For all that, it seems clear that come LA ’28 there will be teams from various nations liberally sprinkled with NFL players.

The decision has been roundly applauded by the athletes, who seem incredibly excited about the prospect of competing at an Olympics. Talking to The Athletic, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson sounded like a child with stars in his eyes. “Just to think about the chances of playing in the Olympics and getting the gold medal is a dream,” Jefferson enthused. “It’s reverting back to being a kid. Watching track and field meets. Watching basketball win the gold medal. That’s something that, as a kid, I always wanted to be a part of.”

By paving the way for current players to train and compete for the national team, NFL clubs have also betrothed themselves to the Olympics, creating sort of a celebrity engagement between two of the biggest sports organizations on the planet. Like any good arranged marriage, both parties benefit: The Olympics gives American football a truly global platform. And the prospect of players like Kelce (and, by association, Swift) turbo-charges the Games with even more star power.

Everyone is beaming. “It’s an incredible honor for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement to the media. “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 National Football League is home to the biggest stars in American football, who come from more and more countries, and now have the opportunity to shine on the greatest stage in world sport, showcasing everything that makes flag football a genuine worldwide phenomenon,” contributed Pierre Trouchet, President of the International Federation of American Football, which governs the sport on the international level.

“I’d like to thank NFL clubs for approving the resolution allowing NFL players to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics,” added Scott Hallenbeck, CEO and Executive Director of USA Football. “USA Football has had extensive discussions with the NFL on the potential for player participation, and we’re thrilled to see those efforts become a reality.”

The next step for USA Football will be developing tryout or qualification guidelines for the 10-player teams in the no-contact sport.

How it works: Flag football in the Olympics

Flag football at the Games will be played on a 70 by 25 yard field in a 22,000 seat stadium home to MLS’s Los Angeles FC. Games will have two 20-minute halves and each team will have four downs to get to midfield and then another four to score a touchdown. And of course, there will be no tackling.

For NFL athletes, even the timing works. The Olympics are happening in July 2028, in the offseason before training camps begin.

Team USA is the early favorite for gold in the men’s and women’s events, and Tuesday’s news is only likely to increase that perception. Even without the assistance of NFL players, the U.S. is the team to beat in international competition, where six men’s and six women’s teams will compete. Worldwide the sport is played in about 100 different countries, meeting the Olympic benchmark for globality necessary for a sport to be considered for inclusion at the Games.

The U.S. men won a sixth consecutive world title in 2024. The U.S. women are also defending world champions, though they have a fierce rivalry with Mexico, which is also a very good team. Canada, Austria, Japan, and Germany are all also tapped as early contenders for the L.A. podiums.