NFL in the Olympics: What if the Rams and Bengals stars were Winter Olympic athletes?
Ahead of Super Bowl Sunday in Los Angeles, and with the Beijing 2022 Winter Games ongoing, we have some fun imagining a world with NFL athletes thriving in the Olympics.
This Sunday is a dream for sports fans all over the world.
Super Bowl LVI will take place in Los Angeles, and as the game concludes, Day 13 of competition at the Winter Olympics Beijing 2022 will begin.
The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals go head-to-head in L.A. to decide this season's champion in America's National Football League (NFL). Both teams boast talented squads, but what if their standout athletes were thrown in to the mix at the Olympics Games at Beijing 2022?
Which players would thrive in which disciplines? Where do the narratives in the respective competitions overlap? We share our thoughts ahead of a Super Bowl Sunday.
Underdogs
Very few experts would have predicted the Cincinnati Bengals to be in the Super Bowl showpiece game, just as very few predicted that Italy would come home with the gold medal in mixed doubles curling.
Amos Mosaner and Stefania Constantini's triumph secured Italy’s first Olympic Winter Games medal in curling, and saw them complete the tournament unbeaten with 11 successive victories.
“We managed to win a gold medal, and this is an incredible thing,” said Mosaner. “But above all, the 11 wins and the zero defeats – this is the biggest and most beautiful thing.”
Will the Bengals complete their underdog tale in LA? We'll find out soon!
Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow - Curling champions
Elite quarterbacks like Burrow and Stafford can thread the ball through the eye of a needle.
Strategy, concentration, accuracy are hugely important in the discipline of curling: all attributes the Rams and Bengals' quarterbacks possess, which makes us think they would potentially be medal-contenders in curling in this beautiful alternative universe we've created.
They also wouldn't have to worry about a long interruption during competition for a halftime show!
Cooper Kupp and Ja'Marr Chase - Snowboard halfpipe shredders
Kupp and Chase are arguably the most important and impressive players on the Rams and Bengals' rosters respectively, and both players have been performing at the top of their game when it matters.
In other words, they're the Chloe Kim and Hirano Ayumu of the NFL.
Kim and Hirano were both expected to win the gold in the men's and women's halfpipe at Beijing 2022, and they both delivered in style. Both athletes are taking the discipline to new levels, and that sounds like the kind of thing that both Kupp and Chase are all about.
Cam Akers and Joe Mixon - skeleton kings
The running backs for the Rams and Bengals may not be the focal point in either teams' offense but both could play a key role on Sunday.
We think Akers and Mixon would make superb skeleton athletes, who have to train like sprinters with the first 30m of their run needing to be explosive in speed.
Track athletes have often made the switch to sliding sports, with Lolo Jones winning a bobsleigh world title for Team USA and being selected for Sochi 2014 after her sprint hurdles career.
Watch out Milano Cortina 2026 skeleton field. Akers and Mixon may be coming for the podium.
How about Rams DT Aaron Donald using his strength in ice hockey? or Bengals kicker Evan McPherson putting his great playoff record and calmness under pressure to good use in the shooting events of the Biathlon?
Several top NFL players have competed at previous Olympic editions, but only one has claimed the Super Bowl trophy and Olympic gold.
Where to watch?
From the Opening Ceremony to athlete action, here's where and how you can watch the Winter Games in your region via the Official Olympic Broadcast Partners.
Keep up with all the action in our Live Blog updates throughout Beijing 2022, here.
