American Football is coming to the Olympic Games in 2028… sort of. While traditional American football won’t be played, flag football will make its debut at the Summer Games.
Since the announcement, many in the NFL have talked about how fun it would be to represent the United States on the inaugural Olympic flag football team.
There is some concern that the 2028 Olympics would take place right before the NFL regular season, creating potential injury risks. Still, that doesn’t stop us from having fun imagining who could don the red, white, and blue—and compete for a gold medal.
Here are our picks for the best projected U.S. flag football team for the 2028 Olympics.
MORE: Sporting News’ 2025 NFL Awards
Building the USA flag football team: Offense
QB Drake Maye, Patriots
Maye took a huge step forward in his second year in the league, leading the New England Patriots to a playoff berth and putting himself in contention for the 2026 NFL MVP Award.
The Patriots quarterback played all 17 games, finishing with 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Since this list is focused on future projections, if Maye continues to develop, he could be among the league’s elite by the 2028 Summer Games. He also has the ability to evade defenders outside the pocket.
DRAKE MAYE DIME ➡️ KYLE WILLIAMS FOR THE 33 YARD TD! Great catch as well! 🔥 #Patriots pic.twitter.com/4p4haRuYmA
— Follow: @ThrowbackPATS (@ThrowbackPATS) December 2, 2025
QB Caleb Williams, Bears
Projecting the best quarterbacks in the league in 2028 is a tough task. That is two full NFL seasons and three NFL offseasons from now, and the best quarterback in the league could theoretically still be in college right now.
One player who will likely be in the running is Caleb Williams. He progressed in the first year under Ben Johnson, and by 2028 could be the player he was drafted to be when Chicago selected him number one overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
RB Bijan Robinson, Falcons
Running backs tend to fall off quickly in the NFL, but Robinson will be 26 years old by the 2028 Summer Games. He should be at the peak of his career by the time the Summer Olympics occur, and he showed in 2025 just how dominant he can be.
Robinson finished the 2025 season with 1,478 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, while adding 820 yards and four more scores through the air.
BIJAN ROBINSON 93 YARDS!
LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/OTqGarUX9F
— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025
RB De’Von Achane, Dolphins
When putting together a flag football team, we’ll need some speed. Achane is one of the fastest running backs in the NFL and is also a dual threat. He played in 16 games during the 2025 regular season and tallied 1,350 yards with eight touchdowns. Achane added 488 yards and four touchdowns on 67 receptions.
WR Puka Nacua, Rams
Nacua has developed into one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He is used to leaving his feet to make impressive catches, and his catch radius will play well with flag football. Nacua had the second-most receiving yards this year with 1,715, finishing just behind a possible flag football teammate.
Just throw it up for Puka.
LARvsSEA on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/xPlqQyznpl
— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2026
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers
The list of top wide receivers can change in just two years. Some of the league’s best pass-catchers could be on the decline by the time the Olympics roll around, so it makes sense that Team USA would want to be represented by younger players. McMillan showed promise in his rookie season with the Panthers, tying for 14th in receiving yards across the league and leading all rookie wide receivers with 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns.
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks
When DK Metcalf was traded away from the Seahawks, the assumption was that Smith-Njigba would take a step back and struggle as a WR1. He used the 2025 season to prove everyone wrong, posting the most receiving yards in the NFL. Smith-Njigba played all 17 games, finishing with 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns on 119 receptions.
Touchdown JSN! 61 yards.
SEAvsJAX on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/2RqhCoOuX4
— NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2025
TE Brock Bowers, Raiders
It feels like the tight end for Team USA will be either Trey McBride or Brock Bowers, and the latter is a little younger, giving him a better edge two years down the road.
Bowers dealt with injuries in 2025, but still showed flashes of the dominance he had as a rookie in 2024. He had 680 yards and seven touchdowns, and should be entering his prime come 2028, presenting a tough matchup for any defense.
MORE: Why JSN won Sporting News’ Offensive Player of the Year Award
Building the USA flag football team: Defense
DE Aidan Hutchinson, Lions
Flag football defense looks very different than defense at the NFL level, so it’s a bit harder to find pass rushers who will work in this style of football. Those rushing the passer must do so from seven yards off the line of scrimmage in the sport, since there are no linemen, so that will place a premium on those who can close ground quickly and change directions quickly.
Hutchinson should have the reaction time from his experience as a defensive end to make up ground quickly, and he is agile enough to make cuts to chase down a scrambling quarterback trying to create. The Lions DE had 14.5 sacks in 17 games during the 2025 season.
Just a reminder Aidan Hutchinson had 4.5 sacks in a game last season 😤
Who is excited to see him back on the field? ✋@aidanhutch97 | @lions pic.twitter.com/RwjhhGG6F2
— NFL (@NFL) May 22, 2025
LB Carson Schwesinger, Browns
When considering linebackers for the flag football team, you want players who can keep pace with opposing pass-catchers running routes. Schwesinger was a second-round pick before the 2025 season. He played in 16 games and recorded the sixth-most tackles in the NFL. While tackling isn’t allowed in flag football, Schwesinger has excellent closing speed and will be three years into his young career by the time the 2028 Summer Games arrive.
LB Payton Wilson, Steelers
Another coverage linebacker who has impressed early in his career is been Payton Wilson with the Steelers. He is very similar to Schwesinger, if not just a step behind. Wilson had 126 tackles and added two passes defended and an interception in 2025. He will be 27 years old in 2028.
PAYTON WILSON RIPS IT AWAY. WILD @STEELERS INT.
📺: #BALvsPIT on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/lisvTk1lt7
— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
CB Jaycee Horn, Panthers
Defensive backs are going to be the stars of the defense. They are going to be charged with sticking opposing wide receivers like glue, preventing receptions and going for interceptions. Over 16 games with the Panthers in 2025, Horn had five interceptions and eight passes-defended. He will be slightly older in 2028 at 28 years old, but if he continues to develop or even plays as well as he did in 2025, he would be a solid addition for Team USA.
JAYCEE HORN ONE HANDED INERCEPTION…
MY GOODNESS. pic.twitter.com/ywrOhnSMSs
— Arye Pulli (@AryePulliNFL) September 7, 2025
CB Derek Stingley Jr., Texans
Stingley just finished his fourth season in the NFL. He has had at least four interceptions for three consecutive years. Stingley also added 15 passes defended in his solid 2025 campaign. He will be 26 years old in 2028.
One handed INT by Derek Stingley Jr. .. sheesh! pic.twitter.com/ybr6J1eoLd
— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck) November 9, 2025
S Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks
Emmanwori is one of the brightest rookie defensive backs in the league. He was a second-round pick for the Seahawks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and he did a little but of everything for Seattle as a rookie. Emmanwori played in 14 games, had 81 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 11 passes defended and an interception in 2025.
S Kyle Hamilton, Ravens
Hamilton is another dominant young safety, that does a little bit of everything for the Ravens. In 2025, he had 105 tackles and nine passes defended. Hamilton didn’t end up with any interceptions, but he is 24 years old and will turn 27 by the Olympics in 2028, meaning he should be developed in the NFL and one of the best safeties in the league at that time.
MORE: Full history of Sporting News’ Award winners
Best NFL flag football roster
So, to recap, here is our full 15-man hypothetical Olympic flag football team for the 2028 Summer Games.
Starting offense
PositionPlayerQuarterbackDrake MayeQuarterbackCaleb WilliamsRunning backBijan RobinsonRunning backDe’Von AchaneWide receiverPuka NacuaWide receiverTetoiroa McMillanWide receiverJaxon Smith-NjigbaTight endBrock Bowers
Starting defense
PositionPlayerDefensive EndAidan HutchinsonLinebackerCarson SchwesingerLinebackerPayton WilsonCornerbackJaycee HornCornerbackDerek Stingley Jr.SafetyNick EmmanworiSafetyKyle Hamilton