USA Flag Football Stars Prove They Don’t Need NFL Help for 2028 Olympics

America's flag football national team dominated NFL stars including Tom Brady and Joe Burrow at last weekend's tournament in Los Angeles. The performance reinforced that the current squad, which has won five straight world championships, may be better suited for Olympic competition than traditional NFL players.

America’s flag football national squad has already demonstrated it can capture Olympic gold without assistance from NFL stars when the sport makes its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Last Saturday’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Los Angeles proved the men’s national squad has what it takes to bring home the championship. The team overwhelmed squads featuring current and former NFL legends, including Tom Brady, Joe Burrow, Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels. The national team has remained unbeaten in International Federation of American Football competition since 2018, winning contests by an average margin of 50-17, while claiming five consecutive world championships.

This should settle the debate. However, it likely won’t since NFL athletes have expressed their desire to represent their nation and league ownership has approved their participation. Burrow approached last week’s Southern California tournament as if it were a tryout. He displayed more running, cutting, and juking abilities than typically seen in his NFL performances. Cincinnati supporters must have worried about potential injury given his aggressive play style.

Flag football and Olympic participation will be topics at the NFL’s upcoming annual meeting in Phoenix, ensuring continued discussion. USA Football is currently building its 2026 roster. The candidate pool features flag football specialists who are current world champions, alongside athletes with basketball, track and tackle football experience. Former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III is also under consideration.

Brady, who demonstrated at 48 that his passing skills remain sharp, removed himself from Team USA consideration after posting an 0-2 record in the tournament.

“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 differs significantly from tackle football, naturally. The sports are so distinct that Brady was already discussing potential rule modifications to increase passing opportunities.

NFL athletes and coaches entered the round-robin competition unprepared after just a few practice sessions. They couldn’t depend on superior football abilities to defeat an elite squad that knows how to exploit the sport’s specific intricacies.

Flag football demands specialized abilities. Outstanding speed, agility, and evasiveness, particularly in 5-on-5 formats, are essential. The sport naturally favors the quickest athletes.

This eliminates many NFL superstars. The league’s top pass rushers rank among the finest athletes due to their power-speed combination. However, players like Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons wouldn’t reach quarterbacks quickly enough to grab flags. Interior defensive linemen have no place. Linebackers wouldn’t qualify. 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 participated 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.”

Flag removal is its own skill, requiring extensive practice. Traditional tackling fundamentals simply don’t translate to flag football.

“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 represents a violent, physical competition. Flag football emphasizes finesse, making size, strength and power disadvantageous.

Team USA’s offense, featuring Darrell “Housh” Doucette III, Nico Casares, Velton Brown Jr. and Pablo Smith, proved unstoppable across three Saturday games, finding the end zone on every drive except for a victory-ending kneel-down.

“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 proper combination of NFL talent — fast cornerbacks, quick receivers, shifty running backs and mobile quarterbacks — could potentially claim gold with sufficient time to master the sport’s complexities.

“If we’re looking at great athletes, the NFL players are athletes,” Brady said.

However, when would they find time for flag football preparation? It’s hard to envision teams permitting players to miss NFL preparation time, risking injury in the process. It’s surprising that athletes like Burrow, Daniels, Hurts, Saquon Barkley and others received approval for 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.

Obviously, that’s currently Team USA.