Since it was announced that flag football will be included in the 2028 Olympic Games for the first time, there’s been plenty of talk about whether NFL stars should join in. After NFL owners voted to let their players take part, that conversation has only grown louder.
Now, veteran flag football quarterback Darrell Doucette III is weighing in. He says NFL players would have a hard time making the U.S. Olympic squad.
‘We Don’t Need Other Guys’ – Flag Football Star Speaks Out
The debate over NFL players joining the Olympic flag football team has focused a lot on fairness. Many think it would be hard to justify taking spots away from long-time flag football players. The U.S. team is expected to dominate the event no matter what, so some see adding NFL players as more of a moral question than a sporting one.
Doucette isn’t too worried about it. Speaking to the Washington Post, he said that NFL players would struggle to get a spot on the team. He added that flag football and tackle football are very different sports. But he also welcomed the NFL stars to try and prove him wrong.
the highlights of Darrell Doucette they didn’t want you to see pic.twitter.com/x4HFiT4tIQ
— Gavin McHugh (@gavinmchughh) August 23, 2024
“This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it, and we don’t need other guys,” Doucette said. “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country.”
Doucette’s Bold Take On Patrick Mahomes
Doucette caused a stir last August when he told TMZ: “At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game.” He said he was trying to speak up for flag football players, who he felt were being overlooked.
Darrell Doucette III, quarterback of the USA national flag football team, says flag football players “deserve their opportunity” to play for Team USA in the 2028 Los Angeles Games 👀 pic.twitter.com/XDvvVo7aHt
— ESPN (@espn) May 26, 2025
“The flag guys deserve their opportunity. That’s all we want,” he said. “We felt like we worked hard to get the sport to where it’s at, and then when the NFL guys spoke about it, it was like we were getting kicked to the side. I felt like I was the guy who could speak out for my peers, for my brothers that’s been working hard to get to this level, for us not to be forgotten.”
With three years to go before the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, there’s sure to be plenty more talk about whether NFL stars will suit up for flag football. For now, Doucette and his teammates are focused on showing they’ve earned their shot—and that they’re ready to prove they belong on the Olympic stage.
