The debate over whether NFL players should participate in the 2028 Flag Football Olympic Games is heating up.
While the option to send players is available, questions linger, such as how many teams will actually do it and whether NFL players truly are the best fit for the Olympic flag football format.
Flag Football’s Top QB Pushes Back on NFL Participation
NFL players seem excited about the chance to showcase their skills on the global stage. During a recent segment of their “New Heights” podcast, brothers Jason and Travis Kelce discussed the opportunity for NFL players to help grow the sport through the 2028 Olympics.
Travis’ enthusiasm was clear. “Oh man, I gotta get hip to the rules so I can start to get ahead of the curve,” he said.
But Jason quickly told his brother to pump the brakes. That’s because Darrell Doucette III, Team USA’s current flag football quarterback, sees things differently.
“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,” said Doucette, pushing back on NFL stars stepping in.
Jason and Travis Fire Back at Doucette’s Take
Doucette’s comments seemed to fuel Travis’ competitive fire. “Is this guy afraid of competition?” Travis asked. “Just have a tryout, and the best players make the team. He’s just boxing out other people from the sport cause they haven’t played the specific style of football?”
Jason took it a step further, proposing an old-school challenge to settle it.
“I do agree, if these guys are the best, they should represent the USA,” Jason said. “I don’t know anything about flag football, but I feel really confident they’re not the best.”
Maybe Team USA QB Darrell Doucette is better than Patrick Mahomes at flag football 🫣 pic.twitter.com/Jw3lbATcaz
— PFSN (@PFN365) August 22, 2024
Travis echoed that thought, arguing that NFL players’ elite athleticism would translate well to the flag football format.
“We got some guys that can do some crazy stuff with the ball in their hands,” said Travis. “I understand even watching Darrell’s highlights—even his highlights are f****** epic.”
Despite the back-and-forth between the Kelce brothers and Doucette, the bigger question looms — will NFL players ever actually get that chance?
Right now, there’s no official process for tryouts or player selection. That has fueled speculation about how rosters will be chosen. Will it be a true merit-based system or something more restrictive?
The Olympics in Los Angeles, which will kick off on July 14, 2028 — promise to be a massive stage for the sport. For NFL stars, the chance to help grow football’s global profile might be too tempting to pass up. For flag football purists like Doucette, though, it’s a matter of defending the integrity of the game.