NFL teams to discuss players' participation in flag football at 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
On Thursday, the NFL announced that the resolution would be addressed during next week's spring league meetings in Minneapolis. A resolution document released by the league lists conditions for participating players, including salary cap credit and injury protection.
The resolution also discusses how, if approved, NFL players' participation would help the growth of flag football and increase league interest.
The resolution to be discussed 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/tvpjnUsjdZ
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 15, 2025
Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, NFL player participation in the Games would not conflict much with the NFL season, as flag football events are scheduled for July 14-30. The gold medal game would be the same week that teams report to training camp.
At the end of the annual NFL league meeting in April, commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged players' interest in competing on the international stage.
"I've heard directly from a lot of players who want to participate and represent their country, whether it's the United States or the country that they came from," Goodell said.
"I think that's something that we'll continue to discuss with, not just the union, but also the clubs. I think both of those are things that we'll probably resolve sometime in the next 60 days."
As flag football makes its Olympic debut, each team will have 10 players, with five on the field at a time. There will be two 20-minute halves, and the rules are similar to NFL play, with some slight variations.
Several players, including Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow and Tyreek Hill, expressed their interest in playing for the United States. Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski also hinted at coming out of retirement to play in the Olympics.
"The Olympics is a critical moment for us in the flag development on a global basis," Goodell said. "The Olympics are the pinnacle of international sport. For us to be able to participate in that, to have both men's and women's flag teams participating in that from around the world, is a significant moment for us."
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