Many professional athletes look forward to representing their country every four years by competing at the Olympic Games, and for some of the NFL’s 1,696 players, that dream could become a reality.
The league’s 32 owners passed a unanimous resolution at the Spring League Meeting on Tuesday that will allow players to try out and compete in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Per the Associated Press, the national committee for each country will select the 10 players that will make up their Olympic rosters. There will be six teams each in separate tournaments for men and women. The report also stated that only one player per NFL club would be allowed per country.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told the media he is pleased with the ruling because it can help the sport become more popular among international audiences. He added that he thinks it was the right thing to do and that it’s a significant accomplishment for the league.
“I think this news represents a great opportunity for the sport,” Goodell said. “It’s truly the next step in making NFL football a global sport for men and women of all ages and all opportunities across the globe.”
Following the historic announcement, the league’s management council plans to move on to negotiating arrangements with the NFL Players Association, national governing bodies and Olympic authorities.
The 32 owners' historic decision has been wanted ever since the International Olympic Committee voted in Oct. 2023 to add flag football to the next summer games for the first time in history.
Following the addition of flag football, the NFL announced its collaboration with the NFL players association to create guidelines that would allow former and current players to compete in the games. Goodell said this will be a significant milestone for the league since now their athletes can compete on the world stage.
The Olympic rings logo
The Olympic rings logo
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
“For our players, we think it’s a tremendous opportunity for them to represent this country, to compete for a gold medal, which is the pinnacle of global sports,” Goodell said.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will take place from July 14-30, but Tuesday will be remembered as a historic day for players, who have received the official green light to try out and participate in the Olympics.