Will NFL Players Compete in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles? NFL Votes on Participation
Our favorite NFL players just got a whole lot closer to the 2028 Olympics gridiron.
The Olympics are coming back to the United States in 2028 in Los Angeles, introducing the sport of flag football to the Olympic slate in the process — but will the best-known football players in the world actually be able to play?
Thanks to a vote this week by the NFL clubs, the path has officially been cleared for NFL players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. According to the NFL, the resolution authorizes the league to work with the NFL Players Association, the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), and Olympic authorities to implement rules governing the participation of NFL players in flag football.
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Basically, this was just one step — but a major one — toward eventually seeing our favorite NFL stars suit up to represent their country in 2028 when flag football makes its Olympic debut.
Will NFL players compete in the 2028 L.A. Olympics in flag football?
The NFL voted on May 20, 2025 to allow players to compete in the 2028 Olympics for flag football, but there are still many more steps to be taken before 2028.
"It's an incredible honor for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "I know first-hand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage. We are thrilled that they will now have that chance.”
Who selects the Olympic flag football teams?
Rosters for respective nations will be selected by the National Olympic Committees based on the proposal by the respective National Federations.
So even though the NFL is allowing players to compete in flag football at the Olympics, they still have to actually make the team to do so. NFL player participation with their countries' flag football teams will involve a tryout or qualification process ahead of any potential Olympic competition.
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When flag football makes its Olympic debut in 2028 in Los Angeles, the competition will feature six men’s teams and six women’s teams, with 10 players on each roster. Games will be played in a five-on-five format.
The introduction of flag football to the Olympics has been a long time coming. The sport has steadily gained popularity thanks to youth leagues nationwide, and the International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) voted in October 2023 to add flag football, along with squash, at the Los Angeles Summer Olympics 2028.
The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will air and stream exclusively on NBC and Peacock! Before that though, catch tons of NFL action this fall on NBC and Peacock on Sunday Night Football!
