Team USA doesn’t need NFL players to help it go for the gold when flag football debuts at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic in LA last Saturday showed the men’s national team can bring it home. The men dominated games against teams made up of current and former NFL stars, including Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels. The team is also undefeated in International Federation of American Football games since
2018, winning by an average score of 50-17, and has captured five straight world titles.
It should be end of discussion. But it won’t be because NFL players have made it clear they want an opportunity to compete for their country and league owners have voted to allow it. Burrow treated last week's tournament in Southern California like an audition. He was out there running, cutting, juking more than he’s ever done in an NFL game. Bengals fans had to be scared he’d get injured with the way he played.
Flag football and the Olympics are on the agenda for the NFL’s annual meeting in Phoenix next week so there will be more discussion about it. USA Football is currently selecting its roster for the 2026 season. The list of athletes in line includes flag-football experts who are reigning world champions, along with those from basketball, track and tackle football backgrounds. Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL QB Robert Griffin III also is in the mix.
Brady, who still showed at age 48 that he excels at throwing a football, took his name out of the conversation for Team USA after going 0-2 in the tourney.
“LA ’28 will be a lot of guys like you saw out there on the field who make a big commitment to trying to be their best and go out there and showcase their skillset to a global audience,” the seven-time Super Bowl champion said.
Flag football and tackle football are not the same game, of course. The games are so different that Brady was already talking about modifying flag rules to emphasize more passing.
NFL players and coaches weren’t prepared for the round-robin tournament after only a couple practices. They couldn’t rely on superior football talent to outplay an elite team that understands how to take advantage of the sport’s various nuances.
Flag football requires a unique set of skills. Exceptional speed, quickness, and elusiveness, especially in a 5-on-5 setting, are priorities. The game is simply suited to the fastest players.
That rules out many NFL superstars. For example, the league’s best edge rushers are among some of the greatest athletes because they combine power and speed. But Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons aren’t going to get to the quarterback fast enough to pull flags. Forget about interior defensive linemen. Linebackers won’t make the cut. Most safeties wouldn’t, either.
“I think when you look at it, you build it with corners and nickels on the defensive side of the ball and fast, skilled guys on the offensive side,” said Hall of Fame linebacker Luke Kuechly, who played in the showcase. “I think linebackers are going to want to get themselves in that game but it feels a lot like a nickel, corner game on the defensive side of the ball.”
Pulling flags is an art in itself, one that demands plenty of practice. Forget about the fundamentals of tackling. They simply don’t apply in flag.
“When you traditionally go to tackle somebody, you want to have the man in front of them versus this game (where) you gotta be on the side, your eyes have to be in the right place and you really have to track that flag,” Kuechly said. “These guys do a tremendous job of sinking lower and you miss that flag. So the technique that we learned as the game went on was attack that near hip, play with our eyes directly on that flag and then anticipate them dropping. That’s what they are so good at and it was, quite frankly, very difficult for us to get those flags.”
The NFL plays a violent, physical sport. Flag football is built on finesse, so being bigger, stronger and more powerful works against you.
Team USA’s offense led by Darrell “Housh” Doucette III, Nico Casares, Velton Brown Jr. and Pablo Smith was unstoppable in three games last Saturday, scoring a touchdown on every possession except for a kneel-down to end one victory.
“Their skillset was very different than anything we’ve seen in the NFL, the speed, the quickness, the ability to create,” Kuechly said. “Our inability to put our hands on those guys made this game very difficult. The scheme is very different. The concepts are very different. With time, it’ll change and we’ll have a better feel for it.”
The right mix of NFL players — speedy cornerbacks, quick wide receivers, shifty running backs and elusive quarterbacks — could probably win the gold if they had the time to dedicate themselves to learning the intricacies of the sport.
“If we’re looking at great athletes, the NFL players are athletes,” Brady said.
But when would they have time to devote to flag? It’s difficult to imagine any team being willing to allow players to take time away from preparing for the NFL season, and to risk injury doing it. It’s surprising players like Burrow, Daniels, Hurts, Saquon Barkley and others had permission to play in the Fanatics showcase.
So who will represent America in 2028?
“Whoever gives the team the best chance to win should be out there,” Brady said.
Clearly, right now, that's Team USA.
___
On Football analyzes the biggest topics in the NFL from week to week. For more On Football analysis, head here.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
