How do I know NFL owners are FootballScoop readers? Clearly, they read my column back in March arguing that the NFL would make a huge mistake by not allowing active players to represent the United States in flag football at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Thursday that league owners are set to discuss a resolution to allow players to participate in the 2028 Games, guaranteeing themselves salary cap and roster protection in the event of injury. International players will also be allowed to compete for their respective countries, which is another key piece in using the 2028 Olympics toward the NFL's biggest business priority: expanding the game globally (via international games) and domestically (via flag football).
Here is the resolution, which permit no more than one player from each NFL team to participate in the 2028 Olympics, plus each team’s designated international player. pic.twitter.com/jonWzxM2e0
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 15, 2025
As I wrote back in March, the juice is easily worth the squeeze of injury risk and disruption of key players missing a portion of training camp. See: the NBA, which benefitted greatly from current players playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics; the NHL, which paused its season in February for the 4Nations Face-Off; and MLB, which holds the World Baseball Classic during March every three years.
Aside from seeing the best of the best come together to obliterate the rest of the world in a game we invented, sending active players to the Olympics will have ancillary benefits for the NFL long before the opening ceremonies three years from now. For a league that leans more and more into offseason tentpoles and year-long water cooler discussion, the process of forming the 2028 US roster would be just as valuable as seeing the team take the field. Heck, tryouts for the US team might be more competitive than any actual game. The next three seasons could turn into one long audition for the chance to make football's equivalent of the 1992 Dream Team. To put it bluntly: the NFL won't meet the moment if Derek Carr is the US team's quarterback; it has to be Patrick Mahomes (or Josh Allen? or Lamar Jackson? or Jalen Hurts?)
And if they don't make the 2028 roster, perhaps Mahomes can throw the javelin and Jackson can run the 110 hurdles.