Patrick Mahomes could be on his way to an Olympic medal

Patrick Mahomes has reached the mountaintop.

There isn't a more accomplished individual in the NFL right now. The Kansas City Chiefs superstar has won two Super Bowls (and, by extension, two Super Bowl MVP awards). He is the consensus best player in the world. He won the regular season MVP award twice. And, at 28 years old, the expectation is that Mahomes will add to both of those totals before he retires.

It's hard to accomplish all that Mahomes has in a single career, much less half a career. He's still operating at the peak of his powers and, save for an ugly Week 9 loss to the Denver Broncos, Mahomes' Chiefs very much look the part of championship contenders in 2023.

Still, Mahomes is aiming higher — beyond the meager realm of NFL football and into a whole new world of possibilities. He wants to win an Olympic medal, and he may very well get his chance when the 2028 games come to Los Angeles.

The Olympics are set to add flag football to the festivities in 2028. Mahomes was asked if he wants to participate, and the answer was a strong yes.

"I definitely want to," Mahomes told reporters during a media session in Frankfurt, Germany. "But I’ve seen some of those guys play the flag football. They’re a little faster than I am. 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."

Patrick Mahomes wants to play flag football at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles

One has to imagine Team USA would be more than glad to entertain the idea of the greatest QB in modern history suiting up for the Olympics. Several NFL players, including Mahomes' former partner-in-crime Tyreek Hill, have expressed interest in the games. What a perfect way to potentially reunite the most potent offensive duo of the last decade.

That said, Mahomes does hedge his bet here. There is a profound difference between flag football and NFL, tackle football. Flag football doesn't incorporate the same blocking elements or the same strategies on offense. Mahomes has all the arm talent in the world, but Team USA might benefit from a more mobile QB who understands flag football on an elemental level.

It's way too soon to truly prognosticate about the 2028 Olympic flag football team, but that does feel like an event better suited to the elite WRs and RBs of the world, and less so to the meticulously trained QBs of the NFL who are accustomed to sitting in the pocket and making their reads under pressure.

Maybe the absence of a proper rush changes the game for Mahomes in a positive light, but by that same token, there's no pass protection once the rush does come. Expect a lot of scrambling and on-the-fly improv from the Team USA quarterback. Maybe Lamar Jackson is the right pick?

For now, all we can do is guess. A lot will change between now and 2028. Mahomes will look different. New QBs will emerge. But, we know Mahomes has another piece of hardware in his sights. If he can play, one has to believe he will.