Roger Goodell: NFL And Players Want Olympic Flag Football – But Owners Object

Although it’s been under a year since the 2024 Olympics, the NFL is already starting to deal with the planning for the 2028 Games.

Amid an infusion of new sports in recent years, including skateboarding and breakdancing, has come the addition of flag football. And, for some star NFL players, that could mean a chance to play on the international stage.

“I’ve heard directly from a lot of players who want to participate and represent their country, whether it’s United States or the country that they came from,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

That chance isn’t yet certain. The Olympics are slated to take place from mid to late July 2028, which will likely conflict with the start of training camp. Even more pressing, with the amount of star power that could participate, are potential injury protections.

A similar situation emerged in the NHL after the 2014 Sochi Olympics, ultimately leading the league to ban players from participating entirely. But as the international stage grows too massive to ignore, the NHL has decided to resume participation in 2026 – and it won’t be surprising to see the NFL take the same path.

“I think that’s something that we’ll continue to discuss with, not just the union, but also the clubs,” Goodell said. “I think both of those are things that we’ll probably resolve sometime in the next 60 days.”

Meanwhile, NFL team owners will be advocating their own interests. A team is allowed to block players from engaging in any activity that risks significant injury, and the Tennessee Titans did just that in 2007, blocking cornerback Pacman Jones from wrestling during a one-year suspension.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk puts it in simple terms: “For most owners, the final decision should be obvious: “You’re not getting our players.””

So the next two months will see whether NFL players will get a chance on the international level. For the NFL, which pushed for Olympic inclusion and is looking to launch a professional flag football league, the rationale for inclusion seems obvious. It only remains to be seen whether ownership concerns will win out.