NFL, League Owners Disagree on Player Participation in Flag Football at 2028 Olympics

America's game will receive unprecedented attention in three years.

The Olympic rings rest silently in Atlanta. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Allowing the Olympics to carry your sport upward to wider global recognition is a time-honored tradition. Ask basketball how it boomed when professionals were allowed to play for the first time, or any number of niche sports who've ridden the wave of television exposure to worldwide participation jumps.

American football—set to make its Olympic debut in flag form in 2028 in Los Angeles—is hoping for such a global breakthrough. However, per ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, whether NFL players will participate remains up in the air.

"Various NFL players have expressed interest in playing. The league office, as we understand, wants that to happen. The owners, however, are being more cautious," Florio wrote Monday afternoon.

It's a simple calculus, as Florio outlined. Players and the NFL itself see the prestige of the Games and the dollar signs global exposure would create, while "the owners see a chance to have key players suffer injuries."

With or without the current crop of NFL superstars, the Olympics are scheduled to open on July 14, 2028.

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