Drew Brees, one of the first star NFL players to champion flag football and invest into the growth of the sport, isn’t convinced NFL players will have a wide presence in the LA28 Summer Olympics despite a recent approval that paves the way for their participation.
The former New Orleans Saints star quarterback was pleased to see NFL owners approve a resolution in May that allows players to represent their country. But Brees believes it’s important to acknowledge the high level of talent on the current men’s U.S. national team, which has won eight consecutive international competitions.
“We could go out right now and grab five or six guys from NFL rosters and create a heck of a flag football team that would be top 3 in the world, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they would be the best, though,” Brees said in a video interview. “I think there will be one or two that will make it, but it’s not going to be a roster full of NFL guys.”
While the 32 NFL owners approved the resolution unanimously, there are still questions regarding player eligibility and the transparency of trials. It remains unclear how exactly NFL players will qualify for the final 12-man Team USA roster.
“It’s a different game,” said Brees, who will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame next year. “It’s five versus five. Look how deep the quarterback is and the route structures that are taking place. … It’s a smaller field. But I’m sure some NFL guys will make a run at it.”
USA Football, the U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), hopes to announce more details related to the selection process in coming months as it continues conversations with the NFL and members of IFAF.
“I think everyone is committed to making sure that there is an avenue for these players to come in and participate,” Eric Mayes, USA Football managing director of high performance and national teams, said in an interview. Mayes says it’s too early to speculate how many NFL players will make the LA28 Team USA final roster, even the athletes who participate the year prior in various Team USA group events could be cut.
“Our ultimate goal is to bring gold home to the United States,” he said. “Whether that ends up being with two or four [NFLers], more or less, I can’t tell you. We’ve done a great job at putting the best teams together and we’ll see where that ends up.”
In recent years, NFL players have started to embrace the league’s flag football efforts—which became clear when the Pro Bowl switched from its traditional tackle format to a non-contact game in 2023.
Some of football’s biggest stars, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Miami Dolphins wideout Tyreek Hill, have expressed interest competing in the Olympics.
The men’s team includes quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette, who went viral for stating he’s better than Mahomes in the flag format. While Mayes says it will be great to infuse some of the “world’s best” athletes into the fold, the executive echoes Brees in saying that even the NFL’s best will navigate a learning curve.
“We’re thinking very intentionally on how we can maximize the time with an incoming [NFL] athlete to help them understand the game mentally and some of the components that are not inherit to tackle, like flag pulling, to ensure we’re putting the best product out there.”
Brees, the co-founder of the youth co-ed flag league Football ‘N’ America, has long advocated growing the game through the safer, non-tackle version. The 13-time Pro Bowl QB says Football ‘N’ America, which has expanded nationwide since launching 2017, will soon partner with a major youth sports organization to further scale the venture.
Brees, an entrepreneur who still has endorsements with major brands like Verizon, has steadily built out his investment portfolio since retiring in 2021. The NFL’s global flag football ambassador invests in restaurant franchises and media companies. But the father of four keeps close tabs on the state of youth sports, while the NFL considers launching its own men’s and women’s flag football leagues.
The Olympics are expected to give the NFL an additional international platform as it ramps up its globalization efforts. The league is playing seven games abroad this year—the most ever.
