NFL owners vote to approve players participation in flag football at 2028 Olympics

NFL players have long sought to win the Lombardi Trophy and get a Super Bowl championship ring. Now, they can also aspire to win an Olympic gold medal. NFL players will be allowed to participate in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics, the league announced Tuesday.

The decision to allow players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles was voted on by team owners at the league meetings in Minneapolis on Tuesday. Per the NFL, the vote was unanimous, with all 32 owners in favor. Specifics on which players can participate have yet to be determined. A resolution will likely need to be agreed upon by the NFL, NFL Players Association, Olympic officials and national governing bodies, according to ESPN.

The parameters the NFL will propose on which players can participate in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics include limits on the number of players who can play from each team. It’s proposing a limit of one player per NFL team on each national team participating. Every player under contract will also be allowed to compete in tryouts.

In addition to establishing participation parameters, the NFL’s proposal includes safety and insurance precautions. The NFL is asking that Olympic flag football teams will use medical staffs and field surfaces that comply with the league’s minimum standards. The league will also ask for insurance policies to provide injury protection for any player injured during Olympic-related flag football activities. In the event a player is injured, the NFL team the player is on at the time of injury will receive a salary cap credit.

Additionally, the NFL is asking for a schedule that “does not unreasonably conflict with an NFL player’s league and club commitments.” That shouldn’t be too hard of a wish to grant as the 2028 Summer Games are scheduled to take place from July 14 to July 30. Training camps typically open in late July, so players who participate in the Olympics would likely only miss their team’s first few practices at most.

In a statement released by the NFL, International Federation of American Football president Pierre Trochet responded to the news by saying that, “I warmly welcome the outcome of this vote, which promises to add another dimension to what is already shaping up to be a game-changing debut for flag football at the Olympic Games. 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.”

The 2028 Summer Olympics will mark the first time that flag football will be played during the Olympic Games. The NFL had pushed for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to include flag football in the 2028 Summer Games to help boost the global popularity of football. The league also held a five-on-five flag football event between players from the Mexican and American national teams in front of Olympic officials ahead of Super Bowl LVII in February 2023. The IOC approved of flag football being a sport at the 2028 Summer Games in October 2023.

During the 2024 Summer Olympics, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the ambassador of flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics. There have also been several players who’ve expressed interest in participating in the flag football tournament at the 2028 Summer Games, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.

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