Early insights into USA Football’s National Team for Los Angeles 2028

Ever since news broke that flag football would premiere at the Olympics for the first time ever during Los Angeles 2028, there has been much anticipation and curiosity surrounding how USA Football’s National Team roster would be constructed.

Stars across the NFL have expressed their interest in competing in the sport’s debut at the Games. At the same time, some current members of USA Football’s National Team have pushed back against such notions, which has further ignited interest around flag football at LA 2028.

USA Football, the governing body of American football in the United States, is responsible for creating the national team and is laying the foundation for a rigorous selection process to cultivate the most qualified athletes to join the squad. The organization will conisder players from the NFL, CFL, UFL, current members of USA Football’s National Team and even talent transfer athletes from non-football sports for Los Angeles 2028.

In the meantime, here is what you need to know about flag football’s Olympic debut and further insight into USA Football’s National Team.

The basics of flag football

Flag football is played by an estimated 20 million people in more than 100 countries. Its debut at the Olympics will feature two events, one for men and one for women, with the games being played five-on-five on a 50-yard field. There will be two 20-minute halves with a running clock until the two-minute warning in each half. Each team’s roster will feature twelve players but only five per team will be on the field during play.

As seen in traditional American football, the goal of the game is to advance down the field and into the opposing team’s endzone for a touchdown. However, unlike football as seen in the NFL, there is no contact. Instead, “tackles” are made by removing one of two vinyl flags attached to the ball-carrier’s waist, with a flag located on each side.

Play begins at a team’s own five-yard line where the team on offense will have four attempts, also known as downs, to reach the halfway line. If successful, they will have another four downs to reach the end zone and score a touchdown. If they fail in either instance, the opposing team takes over possession and begins their opportunity on offense from their own five-yard line.

No running plays are allowed when the offensive team is five yards or less from the endzone, not including after-touchdown extra point conversions. Touchdowns are worth six points. Following a touchdown, the scoring team will have one play to earn an extra point by scoring from their opponent’s five-yard line or two extra points by scoring from their opponent’s 10-yard line.

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 USA Football’s National Team 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 USA Football’s National Team 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."

The NFL continues to have a partnership with USA Football, and are exploring the possibility of NFL players being part of the Olympic team. While there are hurdles to be cleared, the interest of NFL players is an excellent sign for the growth of flag football.

Controversy surrounding USA Football’s National Team

While NFL players have expressed warranted excitement about the debut of flag football at the Olympics, some members of USA Football’s National Team have felt overlooked and disrespected by the narratives surrounding the sport's debut. None have been more outspoken than USA flag football quarterback Darrell Doucette.

The 36 year old did not play traditional football professionally or collegiately, instead participating in intramural flag football at Xavier University in New Orleans and working his way to the upper echelon of the sport. Representing the United States, Doucette helped win multiple gold medals including both the 2021 World Championship and 2022 World Games.

“We just don’t think they’re going to be able to walk on the field and make the Olympic team because of the name, right?” Doucette said. “They still have to go out there and compete.”

“I think it’s disrespectful that they just automatically assume that they’re able to just join the Olympic team because of the person that they are — they didn’t help grow this game to get to the Olympics,” he continued. “Give the guys who helped this game get to where it’s at their respect.”

While the tone of his statements were widely criticized, he does present a fair perspective that runs contrary to the expectations of most football fans. Flag football has made its way to the Olympics without relying on the cache of NFL players. While it is still football, flag football is played under a different set of rules with vastly different pace of play, play concepts, and personnel.

It is fair to assume that NFL players could adapt to these differences, it is also understandable why players like Doucette could feel frustrated and overlooked by the assumption many have that their roles could easily be replaced. Both USA Football men’s and women’s teams are the reigning world champions, earning gold medals at the IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland in late August.

What’s next for USA Football’s National Team

With Paris 2024 concluding just over a month ago, USA Football will have ample time to formulate a roster that captivates fans but also has the capability of winning gold in Los Angeles. In fact, the cogs of this machine are already in motion, even though we are likely years away from final roster decisions.

Peter O’Reilly, the current NFL Executive Vice President, Club Business, International and League Events, will be heavily involved in the roster selection process. He possesses Olympic experience as a former senior member of the New York 2012 Olympic bid team and NBA staff member who supported Olympic basketball at the 1996 Atlanta Games and the 2000 Sydney Games.

“Those conversations around eligibility and process have started,” O’Reilly said. “Obviously, (there’s) a little bit of time, and there’s a lot of great global flag football competitions to come in the years ahead that may be less on people’s radars — world championships, world games ... but important things for us to work through, and we’ll continue to do that.”

Further details from USA Football regarding specific eligibility criteria will be released to the public as it is solidified in accordance with the regulations from the USOPC and IOC.