“You know how amazing it would be to assemble a super team to play in the Olympics, man?”
NFL star Tyreek Hill joined fans in asking that question after flag football was confirmed as one of five new sports for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Hill also wasn’t the only one who began reminiscing about the US men’s basketball team at Barcelona 1992.
Those were the first Olympics that NBA players were eligible for, allowing the US to select a star-studded roster that became known as the Dream Team.
Featuring the likes of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, it is still regarded as one of the best teams ever.
“I grew up a fan of the Dream Team,” Hill said on his podcast.
“To say that I was able to compete for a medal for the US, it’d be special. It’d be something dope if NFL players could buy into that.”
So is American football now set to field its own Dream Team at LA 2028?
What is flag football?
Flag football is a fast, non-contact version of the game watched by millions worldwide in the NFL.
Instead of tackling, defenders must pull a ‘flag’ from the waist of the attacking player with the ball.
Played by about 20 million people in more than 100 countries, flag’s Olympic format will be five v five, with different players on defence and offence.
Many NFL players honed their skills in flag before moving to tackle football and in 2023 the NFL gave them a chance to return to the game they grew up with.
The NFL’s Pro Bowl used to be an end-of-season all-star game but is now a weeklong series of skill contests culminating in a game of flag football.
That has whet the appetite for fans and players alike.
In the Olympic format, the offence features a quarterback, a centre/receiver, plus a mix of receivers and running backs.
And since neither tackling nor blocking are permitted, flag is perhaps an even better stage than the NFL for those who play in the ‘skill positions’ to showcase their talent.
Will NFL players be eligible?
It seems every NFL player asked about the prospect of playing in the Olympics is interested.
Last season’s Super Bowl-winning quarterback Patrick Mahomes “definitely wants to”, Miami Dolphins receiver Hill added “sign me up” and Dallas Cowboys’ defensive star Micah Parsons says he “should be on the US team”.
The NFL’s support played a big part in flag football’s bid to join the Olympics, but injuries are still possible in non-contact sport so NFL teams are wary of players being sidelined while on multi-million dollar contracts.
NFL executive Peter O’Reilly says the league is working with its teams, the NFL Players Association and USA Football to decide whether players have the opportunity to become Olympians.
“NBA players were given that opportunity so it’s a good argument,” said Izell Reese, president of NFL Flag’s official operator RCX sports, on BBC’s Sportshour.
“I would be shocked and surprised if players who have played in the National Football League don’t end up representing Team USA or other countries.”
Ultimately, each team’s selection policy for the Olympics will be determined by their national football federation, such as USA Football.
A decision on whether NFL players will be made available is expected later this year.
Are the US guaranteed gold?
With each passing year, there are more foreign-born players in the NFL, and there were more than 100 last season.
Many US-born players also qualify for other nations through their family’s heritage, such as Amon-Ra St Brown, whose mother is German.
“To be part of the Olympics, whether it’s USA or Germany, and to play the sport that I love most would be a dream come true,” said the Detroit Lions receiver.
The national football federations for Germany, Great Britain and Nigeria all say they would consider current and former professional players, if they demonstrate they are worthy of selection.
The same goes for athletes from other sports. American Football Australia chief executive Wade Kelly says that more than 100 professionals from ball-carrying sports have asked about playing in LA.
“Many of them are NFL fans and they’ve realised they could play against Patrick Mahomes or Tyreek Hill,” Kelly told BBC Sport.
Record seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady said that the US are “going to have a bit of an advantage, but it will be fun to watch other teams fight for the gold medal”.
Their men’s team will aim to win a fifth straight gold at the World Championships in Finland later this month (27-30 August) while the women’s team is going for a third straight title.
But when flag football featured at the 2022 World Games in Alabama, US women were beaten 39-6 in the final by a Mexico team led by quarterback Diana Flores, who last year became the first flag player to be featured in the pro football Hall of Fame.
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