NFL star Patrick Mahomes reveals ambition to play flag football at Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes has expressed an interest in playing flag football for Team USA at the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

Flag football was officially included as one of the additional sports on the programme for Los Angeles 2028 following a vote at the 141st Session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in October 2023.

There are five players per team and it is non-contact, with tackles being made by pulling a flag off a belt worn by each player.

Quarterback Mahomes, who will be 32 at Los Angeles 2028, is a two-time NFL MVP and has skills that could be well suited to the Olympic format.

“NFL football, American football, has taken to further parts, all the way across the world, with flag football coming to the Olympics. I think it’s really cool because football is a great game that has given me so much and I want to make sure everyone gets the same experience that I got growing up,” Mahomes said at a news conference in Frankfurt, Germany, where the Chiefs are playing against the Miami Dolphins.

“I definitely want to, but I’ve seen some of those guys play the flag football and they’re a little faster than I am,” he said. “I know there’s not, like, linemen blocking for you. I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I can still move around then, I’m going to try to get out there and throw the football around maybe in LA. Just don’t tell Coach Reid or Veach or anybody,” he joked.

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Mahomes could be in good company too.

His Chiefs teammate Travis Kelce has also revealed that he would be interested in playing for an Olympic gold medal.

However, at 34-years-old, time is against the tight end.

“I think we’re all just gonna be assistant coaches,” Kelce said on his New Heights podcast. “But I need a gold medal, so I need to be on that roster somehow or someway.”