The 2028 Summer Olympic Games, set to be held in Los Angeles, will feature five new sports: cricket, lacrosse, baseball/softball, squash, and, perhaps most exciting for professional football fans, flag football.
As a result, there’s growing buzz around the potential involvement of NFL athletes on the Olympic flag football team, although players who already compete in the sport will have the early advantage due to their familiarity with the format.
But it’s not just NFL players who are intrigued. WNBA star Caitlin Clark made a lighthearted comment about the possibility of suiting up for Olympic flag football — a scenario that, while playful, would certainly be fun to watch if it ever came to fruition.
Caitlin Clark Weighs In on Playing Flag Football in the Summer Olympic Games
Clark’s connection to football isn’t anything new. During a 2023 episode of “Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli,” she revealed that she’s been a Kansas City Chiefs fan since childhood — a passion passed down through her family, who also support the team.
“I’m not a bandwagon Chiefs fan, I was a Chiefs fan even when they weren’t very good,” Clark stressed. She even took a playful jab at Eli Manning, saying she was a huge fan of his brother, Peyton Manning, growing up. It’s safe to say football has been a part of Clark’s life for a long time.
The NFL recently invited Clark to speak on their panel about flag football. She opened up about her love of football and how she used to dream of playing flag football as a kid.
.@CaitlinClark22 always wanted to play football as a kid, it’s just that the option wasn’t there.
But with the growth of women’s sports and flag football, the opportunities for little girls with the same dreams as Caitlin are endless. pic.twitter.com/NKKNII3rkS
— NFL (@NFL) April 3, 2025
“Growing up, I had an older brother who played football, my grandfather was a football coach for 40-plus years, and I remember going to my brother’s football games and I was like, ‘Why can’t I play flag football?’ I would’ve played it, I would’ve loved it.”
Then, with a playful tone, Clark left the door open to possibly playing on the women’s flag football team at the Olympics — if the opportunity ever came her way.
“Maybe LA 2028,” she said. “Maybe I do two sports, or if basketball doesn’t work out, I’ll head over to flag football, I don’t know.”
Flag Football Could Get More Women Playing the Sport
Clark emphasized that flag football is a great opportunity to bring more women into the world of football, thanks to the sport’s accessibility and ease of implementation.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to like, there’s no reason why they can’t play that. I think it’s super accessible… I probably should’ve just played with the boys, honestly,” Clark said during the panel discussion with Serena Williams.
“The more people that can start that from a young age, I think we’ll be very powerful and the more of them will want to join flag football from a young age, and that will continue on.”
The version of flag football that will be played at the Olympics is 5-on-5, which is the most popular format and a key part of the NFL’s strategy to globalize the sport.
The Olympic stage will shine a much bigger spotlight on flag football and could serve as the catalyst Clark referred to, helping attract more women to the game.