NFL players are heading for the 2028 Olympics. In an announcement Tuesday, NFL owners voted in favor of allowing their players to compete in flag football at the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The idea of having professional football players participate in the flag football competition at the Olympics has fans ecstatic. In a statement released at the announcement, the NFL stated:

“NFL owners passed a resolution, 32-0, on Tuesday at the Spring League Meeting that will allow league players to try out to participate in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A maximum of one player from each team will be allowed to participate and each club's designated international player is also permitted to take part for his country.” 

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is excited to showcase to the world just how talented these NFL athletes are: 

"I think this news represents a great opportunity for the sport, for the NFL," he said. "It's truly the next step in making NFL football and football a global sport for men and women of all ages and all opportunities across the globe. We think that's the right thing to do, and this is a big step in accomplishing that." 

The best part of the announcement is the reaction from NFL fans on social media:

“If the British thought 1776 was bad, wait until we hit them with the Air Raid offense,” one user said. 

“Another person wrote: "One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Six if by Air.” 

This user had a satirical prediction:"Translation: The NFL just killed the dream of hundreds of amateur flag football players, and guaranteed that the USA will win every Olympic flag football game in an embarrassing blowout.” 

One of the NFL’s top receivers and NFL Flag Ambassador, Justin Jefferson expressed how excited he is for the opportunity to compete for a gold medal: “To think about the chance of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal, it’s a dream.”

Other NFL players have expressed their excitement at their newfound opportunity to represent America in Los Angeles in the summer of 2028. This was a great decision by both the NFL and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Imagine the enthusiasm that will now surround the flag football portion of the Olympics! I’m certain this decision will help the IOC snag major sponsorships from companies that would typically not be involved in the Summer Olympics. 

The NFL will also benefit from the global publicity. In 2007, the NFL began to showcase games in London in an effort to grow the sport's reach. Is this announcement another step in the NFL’s effort to expand the league across the pond? I believe it is. The NFL will expand its international presence to add three cities in the 2025 season: 

“The NFL has gone global, and for almost two decades has worked to expand its international fanbase. That expansion will continue during the 2025 season, as there will be seven international games (up from five a year ago) with three cities -- Dublin, Madrid and Berlin -- making their NFL regular season hosting debut.” 

It’ll be interesting to see the competition surrounding how certain NFL players are selected from each team to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Let’s just hope we bring home the gold. 

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