NFL Players Approved to Participate in Flag Football During 2028 LA Olympics

The NFL is going for Olympic gold.

This week, league owners voted to officially allow NFL-contracted players to participate in the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where flag football will make its Olympic debut. The decision opens the door for some of football’s biggest stars to represent their countries on one of the world’s biggest stages.

However, there are some key restrictions in place.

The vote, held during NFL league meetings in Eagan, Minnesota, permits any current NFL player to try out for an Olympic flag football team—including the highly anticipated Team USA roster—as long as the NFL reviews and approves the event’s health and safety standards, including surfaces, training protocols, and recovery procedures.

There’s a catch, though: each Olympic flag football roster can only include one player from any single NFL team. That means you won’t see multiple Kansas City Chiefs or Dallas Cowboys stacking up the Team USA lineup—just one player per franchise. The rule is designed to minimize injury risks and protect team rosters during the NFL season.

In addition, the resolution includes space for “Designated International Players”, allowing eligible athletes to play for their home countries outside the one-per-NFL-team restriction. That opens the door for international NFL talent to suit up for nations like Germany, the UK, Canada, or Mexico.

The 2028 Olympic flag football competition will feature six men’s teams and six women’s teams, each consisting of 10 athletes in a 5-on-5 format, similar to what’s used in NFL FLAG, the league’s official youth program.

While some league executives are reportedly concerned about injury risks, others see the move as a major opportunity to grow the sport worldwide. NFL executive Troy Vincent has long been a vocal advocate for flag football, calling it “the future” of the game and a critical part of the league’s long-term global strategy.

“This is about inclusion,” Vincent previously said. “When you talk about football for all, flag football is where it begins.”

The NFL and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) both backed the Olympic inclusion effort, with the league pledging to use its entire ecosystem—including all 32 teams—to grow flag football globally.

Now with official approval in place, the next step will involve discussions with the NFL Players Association, and eventually, the formation of national teams.