On Tuesday at the NFL Owners meetings in Minneapolis, the owners passed a resolution, 32-0, that will allow league players to participate in flag football during the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. A big surprise is that this new resolution passed with zero opposition, considering the risk of injury that could be on the table for some of the club’s star players. Financial safeguards will be in place in case that were to occur, which could be why owners felt comfortable passing the legislation.
The NFL has been preparing for this for a long time, particularly by transforming the Pro Bowl into a multi-day event that culminates with a competitive flag football game. This version of the Pro Bowl has attracted more viewers than the fading format of the original game, but being in front of a global audience changes everything. Furthermore, the NFL has made efforts to promote the game abroad on a larger scale with 11 international games in 2025.
This opportunity for players comes with one major stipulation:
A maximum of one player from each team will be allowed to participate, and each club’s designated international player is also permitted to take part for his country.
For the Dallas Cowboys, there are a ton of candidates who could have the chance to play in the 2028 Olympics. Who will be the best choice?
Not to play buzzkill, but there is one quick reminder: The games will be played in 2028, which is still three years away, so age, contracts, and player importance will be considered.
Option 1: Micah Parsons, DE
There might not be another player in the league who wants to play in the Olympics more than Micah Parsons. The Cowboys' All-Pro rusher posted on X (formerly Twitter) last summer with the desire to do something in the 2028 Olympics. He did not mention flag football as an option, but that would be the obvious choice.
Parsons is as athletic as they come, and in flag football specifically, it’s more about how athletic the players are than how strong they are. He has experience playing offense since high school and could be used in various ways.
The ideal spot would be used on defense to rush the quarterback. By 2028, Parsons could be a few years into his record-setting contract extension. Would the front office be willing to risk something happening to the leader of their defense? As far as brand exposure is concerned, Parsons would bring that.
Option 2: KaVontae Turpin, WR
As far as practicality is concerned, Turpin checks many boxes for what the USA flag football team will be looking for in a player. Turpin certainly has the speed, but he also demonstrated during the Pro Bowl last year that he could be a secret weapon as a blitzer.
Turpin has been an All-Pro special-teams player, but he took his offensive skills to another level in 2024 with a career-high 420 receiving yards. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer has talked about using Turpin, who signed a three-year extension this offseason, more on offense, which could, in return, catapult his Olympic stock up another level this year.
The only obstacle preventing Turpin from being the clear choice for Dallas is that his contract expires after the 2027 season, making him an unrestricted free agent in 2028. A new deal could come together before then, but that will depend on his performance on the field over the next three years, rather than on the assumption that he will secure a spot on the Olympic roster.
Option 3: CeeDee Lamb, WR
Another wide receiver that carries more star power than Turpin would be none other than CeeDee Lamb. Now entering his sixth season with the team, Lamb has become an established leader in the locker room and sits as one of the more popular players at his position in the NFL.
Like Turpin, Lamb has participated in the Pro Bowl’s flag football game in both 2022 and 2023. Two years ago (held in February 2023), Lamb had six receptions for over 100 yards and two touchdowns. A year later, he followed that performance with three touchdowns. Lamb was also part of the NFL’s commercial campaign to promote flag football last offseason in California. Tying his advocacy to participation in the Olympics would benefit the league’s interests.
There’s no question Lamb is one of the league's most dynamic playmakers, but there could be a few reasons why he might not be the one selected for Dallas. The first is that he will be in the final year of his current extension, so would he or his representation be willing to jeopardize another lucrative contract with Dallas if he’s injured? Maybe not.
With the NFL being very pass-heavy, there has been an increase in star power at the position across the league. There’s Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase, and A.J. Brown. Young players who will be in their prime by 2028 shouldn’t be overlooked, like Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., and Marvin Harrison Jr.
Would having a CeeDee Lamb on offense or a Micah Parsons on defense benefit the entire USA squad? That’s the downside of the rule itself; there can only be one player who goes to Los Angeles.
Option 4: A skill player Dallas drafts between 2026-2027
With the current state of the roster and how some of the star players will be three years older by the time the Olympics roll around, the player representing the Cowboys might not even be on the roster yet.
Dallas traded for George Pickens this offseason, but with his contract expiring, his future with the team is murky beyond this year. The front office wanted to draft Tetairoa McMillian in the first round, but had to pivot to Pickens after the draft.
If the two sides cannot agree on a new deal next offseason, the Cowboys could find themselves back in the middle of the wide receiver market. Hypothetically, let’s say Dallas drafts a first-round receiver next year. By the time the Olympic Games take place, that player would be entering the third year of their NFL career. The first-round receiver will still be young and athletic enough to play flag football, and still have a few years of team control remaining, meaning a new contract extension wouldn’t yet be necessary.
Depending on how this year shakes out at running back, it could even be a running back who goes for Dallas. Yes, the team did invest a draft pick in Jaydon Blue and is excited about his future, but it was a fifth-round pick. Javonte Williams is on a one-year deal, so the running back room could look different a year or two from now.
Another reason why a running back could be the choice for Dallas? By that point, the hope would be that the offensive line would be at the peak of its power, led by Tyler Booker, Tyler Smith, Cooper Beebe, and Tyler Guyton. Whoever the team drafts and has rush behind that o-line might become as popular as Ezekiel Elliott was during his first few years.
Option three may not have a name attached to it yet, but looking to the future, it could be the most logical choice. Aside from that, Parsons would be the player on the current roster who makes sense to represent Dallas at the games, given his assumed long-term standing with the team on a new deal, his enthusiasm for the opportunity, and the chances of him still being a dominant player at 28 by then being pretty high.