Flag Football Momentum Picks Up Ahead of 2028 Olympics

Flag football has largely been viewed as a recreational sport for children that’s safer to play than regular football. However, now that the game is officially going to be an Olympic sport for the 2028 Games, NFL players and coaches are starting to hunker down to learn the ins and outs of the separate but related sport.

A high profile contest was held in late March featuring current NFL players and retired legends such as Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Brady’s team, called Brady’s Founders, fell 39-16 to a Team USA squad full of current NFL stars. Current Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton oversaw Brady’s team.

“My heart is really hurting right now,” Brady said after his team lost a couple of times during the day.

.@tombrady‘s first TD since 2023 🔥

Tune in to the @fanatics Flag Football Classic NOW on Fox Sports, Fox One, and Tubi. pic.twitter.com/DCnPZQOwZR

— NFL (@NFL) March 21, 2026

Team USA featured the likes of Joe Burrow, Odell Beckham Jr., DeAndre Hopkins and others, and was led by San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

In addition to Gronkowski, Brady played with stars like Ashton Jeanty, Devonta Smith and Alvin Kamara.

Celebrity personalities like boxers Terence Crawford and Logan Paul also suited up.

Despite the lack of tackling, there are a multitude of ways in which flag football rules differ from NFL regulations. The game is played in half of the space of an NFL game, as a flag football field is only 50 yards long.

Additionally, there is a 15-minute running clock that only stops in the final minute of each half. Each team also starts at the five-yard line, and the quarterback has seven seconds to pass the ball.

USA flag football star Darrell “Housh” Doucette participated in the round robin exhibition that day and was caught on a live microphone talking about familiarity with the game.

“Those guys(NFL players) don’t know this game like we do,” he said.

Observers noted that NFL players didn’t routinely position themselves properly on defense to grab flags from opposing offenses. Brady even got penalized for not being able to re-attach his flag to his waist in a timely manner.

With the rigors of an NFL season and the requirement of staying in ideal game shape for that schedule, it is going to be very interesting to see if NFL players have the time to get acclimated to flag football, even if they have the enthusiasm to participate.

With that said, some surprising names are throwing their name into the ring for 2028. One of those out of the box options could be Pro Football Hall of Famer Darrell Green, who was an elite cornerback for the Washington Commanders. Green is now 66 years old.

Daily Slop: 21 Mar 26 – 66-year-old Darrell Green is trying out for a spot on the USA Olympic flag football team https://t.co/DdiqF2gVZU

— COMMANDERS FOOTBALL (@HogsHaven) March 21, 2026

“Darrell qualified through out digital combine,” said Callie Brownson, senior director of high performance and national teams for USA Football. “He’s later in his career than the other trial participants, but his testing results were impressive. Our coaches and staff felt he deserved a closer look…he’s a rare athlete who has stayed in shape and is ready to compete this week.”

Green is going to let the chips fall where they may.

“I’m going to give it my best and I’ll walk away with my head up, either way,” Green said.