NFL superstars out to hijack Olympics’ latest sport with US ‘superteam’

NFL players Tyreek Hill and Micah Parsons have expressed interest in joining forces to help Team USA win gold in flag football at the 2028 Olympics. On Monday, the International Olympic Committee approved flag football as one of five sports – alongside cricket, baseball-softball, lacrosse and squash – to be included at the Los Angeles Games. 

The NFL has endeavoured to promote flag football where possible and actively pushed for its inclusion in the Olympic Games schedule. Last season, the league transitioned its annual Pro Bowl into a series of contests, culminating with the AFC-NFC Pro Bowlers facing off in a game of flag football.

After the news flag football will be an Olympic sport, Tyreek Hill – who leads the NFL in receiving yards through six weeks – immediately expressed his interest in representing the United States. He called on fellow NFL stars to team together and win a gold medal, going on his podcast to say: “You know how amazing it would be to assemble a super team to play in the Olympics.”

Hill quickly received support from another active star in the form of Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher Micah Parsons. During the episode of The Edge with Micah Parsons on Tuesday, the two-time Pro Bowler revealed he would be joining to compete – and win – at the Olympics.

“I’m going on the U.S. Team,” Parsons said. “I’m gonna go win an Olympic gold medal because I can’t do it in track and I can’t do it anything else but I know I can play some flag football. I think I might be playing offense for the guys.”

The 24-year-old – who has five sacks in 2023 – added: “Me and Tyreek [Hill] gonna start it off and it’s just gonna be like that. All of our guys should be on that team. We need Justin Jefferson out there, we need Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb… We should run through everybody just like we do in wrestling and everything else.”

Even NFL legends are considering making a return to action to take part; former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski expressed his interest prior to the IOC announcing flag football’s inclusion. NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said the league will work with the players’ union on allowing current and former players to participate come 2028.

The discussion surrounding a Team US ’superteam’ evokes memories of the Dream Team at the 1992 Barcelona Games, which featured the likes of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and more as active NBA players were allowed to compete for the first time. It is widely considered the best basketball team ever assembled, and the news means a flag football ‘Dream Team’ could become a reality.

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“Ultimately, that decision on the makeup of Team USA is a decision of USA Football and the national governing body or the governing bodies around the world in similar roles because we are thinking about Team USA, but there are also a lot of other passports in the NFL – 113 foreign-born players on NFL rosters as of Week 5,” O’Reilly said on Tuesday.

“So, that opportunity for athletes to represent their countries, we understand the desire, what they have spoken out about and what we will continue to do is work with the players, (NFL) Players Association and the clubs in the time ahead to determine the process and then work with USA Football and IFAF on that.”

He added: “We’re committed to growing flag football around the world. The Olympic decision accelerates that. We do see it as a long-term commitment as we move forward. 

“And it’s not just about 2028 and that July, it’s about the next four years and how we, our clubs, IFAF take advantage of that opportunity to really grow this game, allow more girls and boys around the world to get a ball in their hands, get a flag belt on, and grow what we’re doing.”

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