There is tons of excitement about the prospect of NFL players competing in flag football for Team USA at the 2028 Olympics, but there’s at least one person pushing back on the idea.
Darrell Doucette III, the quarterback of the USA national flag football team, said that he would welcome an open competition for roster spots on the Olympic team, but he hopes that flag football players aren’t overlooked entirely.
“The flag guys deserve their opportunity. That’s all we want,” Doucette told the Washington Post. We felt like we worked hard to get the sport to where it’s at, and then when the NFL guys spoke about it, it was like we were getting kicked to the side. I felt like I was the guy who could speak out for my peers, for my brothers that’s been working hard to get to this level, for us not to be forgotten.”
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While superteams are being drawn up for 2028 and NFL stars like Justin Jefferson are saying they are ready to dominate in Los Angeles, Doucette wants people to remember the players who really helped grow the game in the U.S.
Here’s a look at what Darrell Doucette III said about flag football and the 2028 Olympics.
What did the USA flag football quarterback say about NFL players?
Doucette told the Washington Post that he hoped players on the national flag football team are given a fair shot to try out for the Olympic team in 2028. He and his teammates do not want to be completely disregarded in favor of NFL superstars.
Darrell Doucette III, quarterback of the USA national flag football team, says flag football players “deserve their opportunity” to play for Team USA in the 2028 Los Angeles Games ? pic.twitter.com/XDvvVo7aHt
— ESPN (@espn) May 26, 2025
“This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys,” Doucette said.
Doucette stepped into the public eye last year to defend his sport, saying last year that he would be a better flag football quarterback than Patrick Mahomes. His comments drew the ire of plenty of Chiefs fans, at least.
“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,” Doucette said. “I know he’s right now the best in the league, I know he’s more accurate, I know he has all these intangibles, but when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.”
Will NFL players play flag football in 2028 Olympics?
On May 20th, the NFL approved a proposal to allow the league’s players to participate in the 2028 Olympics’ flag football event, with all 32 owners voting yes on the matter.
BREAKING!
NFL Clubs approve players participating in Flag Football in the 2028 Olympics. pic.twitter.com/SU55XmBHkH
— Olivia Garvey (@OliviaNBCLA) May 20, 2025
“I know first-hand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage,” commisioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We are thrilled that they will now have that chance.”
The exact details haven’t been confirmed yet, but there would likely be a tryout process for NFL players to be included on the U.S. national team. In all likelihood, NFL clubs will only allow one player each to be on the Olympic team.
