The topic of NFL stars competing in the 2028 Olympic Games in flag football has been a fun talking point this offseason. While some players remain unmoved by the idea, others have expressed excitement at the opportunity to represent their country at the event.
Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard is one of those players relishing the prospect, but wouldn’t be wearing the stars and stripes in Los Angeles.
Carolina Panthers Star Chuba Hubbard Looking to Fulfill Olympic Dream in 2028
A childhood track star, Hubbard’s dream to compete in the Olympics wasn’t one introduced by the recent ruling at the NFL owners meeting. For the Panthers running back, those dreams were merely rekindled, having seemed all but lost when the player opted to pursue a career in football.
Now 26 years old, Hubbard can reflect on that decision kindly, having emerged as a key part of the Carolina offense last season. Hubbard turned that breakout campaign into a four-year, $33.2 million contract extension in November, further evidence that he’d chosen the right pursuit years earlier.
With the announcement that NFL players would be allowed to compete in the flag football event at the 2028 Olympics, though, Hubbard’s earlier dream is back alive. The player will be 29 when the famous torch is lit in Los Angeles, and could even still be playing on his current deal. In a recent article for ESPN, Hubbard is said to have excitedly reeled off a list of players who could join him on his national team, Canada.
There goes Chuba Hubbard for a @Panthers touchdown! #KeepPounding
📺: #CARvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/WHZzLWr0ox— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2024
Those players include notable names, such as New York Giants safety Jevon Holland, twin brothers Chase and Sydney Brown, and Los Angeles Chargers safety Benjamin St-Juste. While those players would likely struggle to overcome a USA team stacked with the likes of Lamar Jackson, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase, it would be exciting nonetheless.
Hubbard Reiterates Focus on Panthers Turnaround in 2025
While excited about a potential Olympics appearance down the line, Hubbard has more short-term goals to achieve in tackle football first. The Panthers star wasn’t shy in revealing those goals, which include bringing Carolina its first-ever Super Bowl.
“I want to be great, chasing something that only I know I can obtain and I can achieve. Needless to say, I want to win games. I want to win a Super Bowl. I want my teammates to have that stuff, as well.”
That’s a big ambition indeed, for a team that has failed to win its division for nine years, since winning three on the bounce with Cam Newton. That final division win in 2015 led to a Super Bowl appearance, which they lost to Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos, in Manning’s final ever game in the NFL.
The running back’s breakout last campaign coincided with a similar emergence from his quarterback, Bryce Young. The former No. 1 overall draft pick looked every bit of that as he resurrected his fledgling career down the stretch last year. Factor in the team’s impressive offseason roster-building, and Carolina could be closer to Hubbard’s dreams than many expect in 2025.
