Early insights into Team USA flag football roster for Los Angeles 2028

NFL stars discuss Los Angeles 2028

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was named the sport’s ambassador for the 2028 Summer Olympics and was featured in an NFL advertisement where he lit the torch at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum by throwing a flaming football. He is just one example of stars across the league being linked to or directly discussing the debut of the sport on the international stage.

Another is three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. While expressing his desire to compete at LA 2028, he also acknowledged that the speed of the game is a factor to account for.

“I definitely want to but I’ve seen some of those guys play flag football and they are a little faster than I am,” Mahomes told reporters in November of 2023. “I know there aren’t linemen blocking for you. I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I can still move around, I’m going to try to get out there and throw the football around in LA.”

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow also expressed interest in competing at the Games. However, with the several elite NFL quarterbacks plus current members of Team USA flag football bidding for spots, it does appear that the roster selection process could get complicated.

“I really want to play for the Olympic flag football team,” Burrow said on the “Pardon My Take” podcast. “Like Me, Ja’marr (Chase), Justin (Jefferson), Me and my friends out there playing football. . . . I think it’d be really cool.”

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who could be on the receiving end of passes from these quarterbacks, wants Team USA to assemble the best team possible for LA 2028 and put on a show on the international stage.

“You know how amazing it would be to assemble a super team to play in the Olympics,” Hill said on his podcast in 2023.

Even former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has expressed interest in competing at Los Angeles 2028. The 36 year old last played in the NFL in 2016.

“Hopefully we’ll be out there,” Kaepernick told Sky Sports. “We’re gonna work on some things, see if we can make it in there. But we’d love to be out there.”