NFL owners voted unanimously Tuesday to allow players to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics — but whether stars will give up their summer vacations for a shot at gold is still up in the air.
Flag football is set to debut at the Los Angeles Games, and while the league has officially approved player participation, plenty still needs to be sorted out. According to NFL insider Jeff Darlington, though, the one thing that could lock in top-tier talent is simple: Legacy.
Team USA ‘Dream Team’? NFL Stars Eye 2028 Summer Olympics
Appearing on “This Is Football,” Darlington made it clear — he believes plenty of NFL players will be ready to chase gold, even if there’s no paycheck.
“I think there will be players that want the gold medal,” Darlington said. “It adds something to a résumé that maybe the average American doesn’t understand.”
Darlington even dropped a name — Patrick Mahomes. While the Kansas City Chiefs QB hasn’t committed to anything publicly, it’s clear the idea of playing for Team USA is already circulating among stars.
And it’s not just about the experience — it’s about the statement.
“It’s like a major to them. And it’s something different,” Darlington added.
A great, hilarious talk with @JeffDarlington about what Olympic Flag Football will look like.
"Talking to Patrick Mahomes about it, for instance, I think there will be players that want the gold medal. It adds something to a resume."
"Mahomes, I think, wants to do it." đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/sP6YjlFIt5
— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark)
If it’s up to Darlington, this isn’t going to be just any group of pros tossing the ball around.
“I want complete and utter domination,” he said. “We invented the sport, we need to own it.”
He even brought up the original Dream Team — the 1992 U.S. men’s basketball squad that steamrolled the Olympics — saying he wants his 10-year-old to feel the same awe watching NFL stars that he felt watching Jordan, Magic and Bird.
Of course, there’s a clear difference between NFL football and flag football. Still, the idea of athletes like Tyreek Hill or Justin Jefferson going up against amateurs from other countries feels almost unfair. PFSN highlighted seven wide receivers, including Hill and Jefferson, who would be natural fits from Team USA.
That said, don’t expect the current flag football squad to step aside without a fight.
Team USA quarterback Darrell Doucette made it clear last year he isn’t giving up his spot easily — even if it means battling the sport’s biggest names.
Gold Rush: Will NFL Stars Commit to Team USA?
The league still needs to work out details with the NFL Players Association, Olympic officials and national governing bodies before anything becomes official. But with the owners already onboard — and with names like Mahomes getting tossed into the mix — the wheels are definitely turning.
“It’s an incredible honor for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We are thrilled that they will now have that chance.”
The real question now? Whether the lure of Olympic gold is enough to pull superstars onto a flag football field in Los Angeles. Darlington seems to think so — and if he’s right, we could be looking at the most dominant Olympic roster the sport has ever seen.