NFL owners voted on Tuesday to unanimously approve a resolution allowing players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, NFL owners voted on this proposal during the league’s annual meeting in Minneapolis. The proposal allows each NFL team to send one player to represent their country in the inaugural Olympic flag football competition.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell praised the decision as a milestone for the NFL and the sport of flag football, saying that it “represents a great opportunity for the sport.”
“It’s truly the next step in making NFL football and football a global sport for men and women of all ages and all opportunities across the globe. We think that’s the right thing to do, and this is a big step in accomplishing that,” he added, per NFL.com.
Multiple players have already spoken about their intent to join the team, with Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson saying that the Olympics were something he “always wanted to be a part of.”
“Seeing the amount of kids that are really involved in the sport, seeing the women and men being involved, seeing it now, being on the global stage is something that’s so special,” he said, per The Vikings.
“Even though it’s three years down the line, they’re still planning who’s going to be on the team and all but, just thinking about the chances of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal, is a dream.”
Despite the vast majority of players and owners supporting this proposal, there are still concerns about potential scheduling conflicts and injuries that could be sustained while playing in the Olympic Games.
These concerns prompted the league to provide various protections and structures for how this process will work, including:
- The purchase of insurance policies and salary cap credits for injuries sustained during the Olympics or training
- Implementation of training and medical staff that are up to NFL standards
- The creation of an Olympic training and playing schedule that does not “unreasonably conflict” with the NFL schedule
- An exception for international players to participate on the Olympic teams for their home countries
While negotiations between the NFL and the NFL Players Association regarding the details of this proposal are still expected, the belief is that this will go smoothly and that players will be eligible to participate in the Olympics.