Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Tuesday he will be “surprised” if NFL players make the United States flag football team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Payton coached the Founders FFC team, which included current and former NFL players, during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic last weekend. Founders FFC lost both of its games, including a 43-16 thrashing to the USA team.
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“I think when this first was announced, there was this feeling there would be 10 NFL players on that roster,” Payton said at the NFL owners meetings, “and I’ll be surprised if there’s one. I think we have plenty of players that can acclimate, but it’s going to take a month or two. And then if you’re one of those players, do you have that month or two? And if you’re training for that, you’re not training [for the NFL]?”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell disagrees, expecting to see NFL players playing flag football in the Olympics.
“I’m a huge fan of flag football,” Goodell said Tuesday. “I was there last weekend, so I had the chance to be with the players, not just the NFL players but also the USA Football Team. You know, I think we learned a lot over the weekend. We learned a lot about the game. They’re different games. The talent on both sides was fantastic, but the game is different. The play calling is different.
“I think we’ll see NFL players in the Olympics. They want to play. We just had a player here that wants to participate in the Olympics. I think it’ll be great for football. I think it’ll be great for the fans. And I’m even more excited about young women having the opportunity to play flag football in general, but also participate in the Olympics. The game is accessible through flag football, and on a global basis, it’s helping us internationally, and I think the Olympics are going to be a wonderful space for us to show that off. We’re looking forward to L.A. and hopefully Australia after that and many more after that.”