The NFL approved letting its players participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics as part of the flag football events, which will make their official debut in Los Angeles. That decision was a monumental one, allowing U.S. athletes who are typically dedicated and bound to a domestic league to now play in a foreign competition.
However, that move won't come without major consequences. Professional flag football players are not happy with the automatic assumption Team USA or other countries will fill their rosters with NFL players.
"The flag guys deserve their opportunity," Darrell "Housh" Doucette, quarterback for the U.S. National Flag Football Team, told the Washington Post on Sunday. "That's all we want. We felt like we worked hard to get the sport to where it's at, and then the NFL guys spoke about it, it was like we were getting kicked to the side."
Doucette doesn't want he and his teammates to miss out on their biggest opportunity to date to bring their sport to the forefront of fans' minds on the biggest international stage.
The U.S. has won six world championships in flag football, including five straight (2014, 2016, 2018, 2021, 2024). Doucette led both the 2021 and 2024 squads to winning the gold medal but his career, at 35 years old, is on the decline. So the 2028 Olympics could be his final opportunity at global glory.
Fans are split on whether NFL players should represent Team USA at 2028 Olympics
Doucette made a bold statement to defend he and his teammates' talents, essentially throwing the gauntlet down against guys like Ja'Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Tyreek Hill who could be in line to compete for Olympic roster spots in three years.
"This is a sport that we've played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don't need the other [NFL] guys," Doucette said. "If those guys come in and ball out and they're better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country."
That's led fans online to debate the issue themselves (naturally).
Definitely a different take…
— Jake Shindel (@JakeShindel) May 26, 2025
But I’d rather see these guys compete in the Olympics. They’re the ones who have been fighting for this.
Don’t really care to see NFL players on Team USA. We’ve seen that in the Pro Bowl (yes I understand it’s different) and the product sucks https://t.co/iBi7kCtEm3
With respect they should have an opportunity. But reality is if they were better then a Gibbs, Justin Jefferson, Patrick Mahomes they wouldn’t be playing flag football.
— Kurt van der Maas (@Mr_Brightside82) May 26, 2025
Goal is to leave no doubt on the world stage that our BEST are better than everyone else’s. https://t.co/y8Aya9VymW
Let everyone try out. I do think having existing flag players only helps https://t.co/q7hdO6qsdn
— Tee (@Tie_Ron) May 26, 2025
Fries in the bag. Bring me Lamar Jackson https://t.co/A0U3ZoXky9
— Avikar (@AvikarKhakh) May 26, 2025
It's a relatively mixed bag of views but one thing that seems common is letting everyone try out at the very least. That would lend directly to Doucette's concession of if he and his teammates are beat out by NFL players, then the latter have earned their spots.
Others have some unique ways of sorting the skill disparity.
NFL just need to add them to the pro bowl and let them go against NFL players https://t.co/W5FbW1BBk9
— K..G (@KGNumber35) May 26, 2025
I think I’ve tweeted this before but flag football requires a lot strategy and a different type of skill than regular football. Obviously a lot of NFL players can translate pretty easily but some of these designated flag guys can be good as well. I say 70-30 NFL ratio https://t.co/9VyoyFny9L
— ant edwards/jjettas burner account (@antmangriddy612) May 26, 2025
Whatever the solution may be, the bottom line seems to be that everyone wants the USA to dominate at its most popular sport, even if the pads are removed. Things will eventually work their way out but the debate seems to be far from over.