Roger Goodell "absolutely" expects to see active and retired NFL players in 2028 Olympics

Roger Goodell “absolutely” expects to see active and retired NFL players in 2028 Olympics

Posted by Admin June 19, 2026 NFL

In only two years, flag football will make its Olympic debut. The NFL has decided to make up to one active player per franchise available to participate.

Does Commissioner Roger Goodell expect to see NFL players in the Olympic flag football tournament?

“Absolutely,” Goodell told Suzy Schuster during a recent interview on Women’s Sports Now. “We approved it a year ago, and I’ve had a lot of players that have said, ‘We want to participate in that.’ It sets up really well because it’s before [training] camps. It’ll be the first week of the Olympics . . . .

“Listen, these players are competitors, and they love the big stage. And to win a gold medal, or any medal, is something I think they would all treasure, and they talk about it all the time. So I absolutely believe we’re gonna have players in the Olympics — active players and probably some retired players.”

First, the active (and retired) NFL players must be selected for the U.S. men’s national flag football team. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic demonstrated the very real differences between tackle football and flag football. There’s an emphasis on shiftiness and speed. Versatility is a must.

The players who want to compete will need to be willing to make the appropriate time commitment. For now, the extent to which the qualification process or eventual training sessions will conflict with offseason NFL workouts isn’t known.

USA Football expects to announce the Olympic selection procedures later this year. At that point, active NFL players will be able to assess whether they’re willing and able to moonlight as flag football players.

Then there’s the question of whether the NFL players will be better than the current flag football players. Flag standout Darrell “Housh” Doucette recently estimated that, eventually, one or two NFL players will land on the 10-man Olympic roster.

With or without active (or retired) NFL players, the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics will help fuel the ongoing global growth of the sport. That’s why the NFL is firmly behind it — and why the NFL will soon be launching a men’s and women’s professional flag football leagues.