At each Olympic Games, the host country can add an additional sport to the regular events. Breaking was introduced at the Paris Olympics and was well received, even though only one Australian athlete was not serious about it.
The Los Angeles 2028 Games will see the return of baseball, softball, cricket and lacrosse, and two sports – squash and flag football – for the first time.
Commissioner Rob Manfred said last month that Major League Baseball is open to having players take part in the Olympic baseball competition, and the National Football League has clear ambitions to compete in the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Judging by this promotional video for flag football at the Summer Olympics, it looks like the NFL is all in on LA28.
It’s our turn to light up the LA28 Olympics. #NextLA28 pic.twitter.com/PEgQOqpmUx
— NFL (@NFL) August 5, 2024
“Now it’s our turn,” Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said after tossing a flaming football to ignite the Olympic Torch atop the Los Angeles Coliseum.
NFL players are apparently seriously interested in competing in the Olympic 5-on-5 flag football tournament, and for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the opportunity is enticing: He could win a gold medal in Los Angeles in addition to his three Super Bowl MVP trophies.
“I definitely want to do that. … I know the linemen aren’t going to block for me,” Mahomes said last season. “I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I’m still around then, I’d love to throw the ball in L.A..”
Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged NFL players’ interest in Olympic flag football, calling it a “great opportunity for the players.”
“Flag football is growing rapidly not only in the United States but globally, and it’s bringing young women into the sport and giving them the opportunity to play, and I think that’s incredibly valuable and rewarding for our future,” Goodell said. “So I think putting the sport on the Olympic stage would be a stamp of approval, a badge of recognition, and quite frankly, this is going to be a stage that a lot of athletes, including former NFL players and current NFL players, want to be a part of, so we have to work at all of that.”
“We’re all just going to be assistant coaches,” Mahomes’ teammate, star tight end Travis Kelce, joked on his podcast, “New Heights,” before acknowledging that the lure of Olympic competition is too great.
“But I want a gold medal,” Kelsey added, “so I need to get on that list somehow.”