The 2025 4 Nations Face-Off gave hockey some shine this past week, proving to be a success as a replacement for the All-Star Game following Team Canada’s 3-2 win over Team USA on Thursday evening.
With the event captivating the sports world in the usually quiet period following the Super Bowl, some have used the idea to float other possible changes to different sports. For example, there have been some suggestions to make the NBA All-Star Game a matchup between USA versus the rest of the world.
Football is set to enter international competition in a big way soon, with flag football being added as a sport for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Even though the Olympics are still three years away, it’s not too early to start thinking about a possible Team USA roster for flag football.
So, let’s imagine that the NFL decided to hold its own international tournament this offseason similar to the 4 Nations Face-Off and Team USA was selecting its squad. Per Olympic rules, rosters will consist of 12 players, while play is 5-on-5.
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Here’s who we’re picking.
OFFENSE
We want our quarterback to have the best combination of passing and running as possible. Jackson is arguably the best running quarterback in NFL history, having already set the record for the most rushing scores at the position this past season. But Jackson has also grown as a passer, putting up elite numbers in 2024 (4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns, four interceptions, 8.8 yards per attempt, 119.6 passer rating).
Simply put, no player is better suited to be a quarterback for a flag football team than Jackson.
There are many directions we could’ve gone with this choice. Patrick Mahomes is arguably the best quarterback in the league, but he isn’t the fastest runner. Josh Allen might be the best dual-threat quarterback today, but his running style is conducive to physicality, and he can’t plow opposing defenders in flag football. If we wanted to switch up styles, we could pick Joe Burrow or even Tom Brady to have a quarterback dice up the opposing defense from the pocket.
However, speed is the name of the game, and Daniels offers the second-best combination of passing and speed among all signal-callers. That ability helped immediately transform the Commanders in his rookie season, with 891 rushing yards and six rushing scores to go with his strong passing numbers (3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions).
We’d be remiss not to include the reigning AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year on our roster. Fortunately, Barkley’s style also fits the mold that we’re looking for with our flag football team. He isn’t a bruiser like some other top running backs, often beating opposing defenders with agility in tight space and speed in the open field. That helped Barkley join the 2,000-yard club this past season.
Additionally, Barkley is a threat in the passing game, recording 33 receptions for 278 yards and two touchdowns this past season. Barkley could potentially play center in obvious passing situations, as he’s eligible to be a receiver.
Saquon Barkey’s unreal 60-yard TD in NFC title game
Arguably no wide receiver has been better since Jefferson entered the league in 2020. The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year has already made four All-Pro teams and currently holds the NFL record for receiving yards per game (96.5). Jefferson might not be the fastest receiver (he only ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine in 2020), but his route running, ability to get open and catch radius are undeniable. With the freedom to line up anywhere in flag football, Jefferson’s ability to thrive in space makes him an ideal fit.
If Jefferson isn’t your choice as the league’s best wideout today, Chase likely is. The Bengals star has done damage in the boundary and in the slot over his first four years, recording a whopping 127 receptions for 1,708 yards and 17 touchdowns to win the receiving triple crown this past season. Chase’s ability to make contested grabs will give Jackson or Daniels a strong option if his four other wideouts are covered.
Sorry, Tyreek Hill. If we made this roster a year ago, you would’ve been a lock. However, there’s a new top speedster in town that we’re going to take to help open up the field even more for us. Worthy amazed everyone last year when he ran a record-setting 4.21 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He proved he could play at the highest level as well, recording 925 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns over the regular season and postseason as a rookie. Worthy also had three rushing touchdowns, so he’d give us a strong reverse or trick-play option.
DEFENSE
Defenses are allowed to have one designated rusher to get after the quarterback on each play. While we could load up our unit with defensive backs and use one of them to rush the passer, let’s not take any chances here. Parsons has arguably been the league’s best pass-rusher since he was drafted in 2021, posting 12.0 sacks in just 13 games this past season. He has often gotten to opposing quarterbacks with his agility and has used his long arms to bat some balls throughout his career as well, which fits the mold of what you should want in a flag football rusher.
Similar to Barkley’s inclusion, we can’t leave off the reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Surtain has locked down the opposing team’s top receivers over the past few seasons, recording four interceptions in 2024. He allowed just 38 receptions on 62 targets for 326 yards and two scores this past season, per Pro Football Reference.
McDuffie has also been one of the league’s top young corners over the past couple of seasons, quickly emerging as an All-Pro player for Kansas City. Though he recorded the first two interceptions of his career in 2024, he’s accumulated 27 pass defelctions and seven forced fumbles through three years. He’s also allowed only 31 receptions on 61 targets for 427 yards over 10 career playoff games, per PFR.
Hamilton has primarily played free safety in his first three seasons in the league and has excelled in that role, earning a pair of All-Pro nods as the Ravens defense has also been one of the best in the league during that stretch. While Hamilton’s ball-hawking ability (five career interceptions) will help down the field, he has also played a bit in the box throughout his career. With his seven career sacks, Hamilton could be a solid backup rusher option if Parsons needs a breather or if you want to play five defensive backs and not rush the quarterback.
In addition to speed and agility, overall athleticism should also be emphasized when building this team. DeJean is one of the most versatile athletes in today’s NFL. He was a do-it-all player defensively at Iowa, playing corner, safety and even some snaps as a hybrid linebacker in addition to being an award-winning punt returner. Of course, DeJean’s fame exploded when he returned his interception of Patrick Mahomes for a touchdown in Super Bowl LIX, so he’d give this defense some big-play ability.
Cooper DeJean’s pick-six off Patrick Mahomes in SB LIX
With two of the game’s top boundary corners plus an elite safety and slot corner already on the roster, that should allow us to be a bit creative with the final spot. So, let’s bring along Hunter. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is one of the top prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, thanks in large part to his play at cornerback — he recorded seven interceptions over two seasons at Colorado. Obviously, Hunter is best known for his two-way ability, excelling at wide receiver to also win the Fred Biletnikoff Award in 2024. So, if anything happens to any of the receivers, or if we want to open up the playbook a bit more, Hunter could see some snaps on offense as well.
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