T
he 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will make history. For the first time ever, flag football will be an Olympic sport, introducing the sport to the international stage. But what makes flag football so interesting for the next Olympics is the inclusion of NFL players. The league owners held their annual spring meeting on May 20 and approved the inclusion of NFL players in the Olympics.
Now, one player from each team is allowed to play for each country and will give Olympic sports fans to watch the NFL’s best players vie for a gold medal. But not every player has jumped at the opportunity. For Cincinnati Bengals‘ star, Ja’Marr Chase, he is not 100% sure he wants to partake.
Chase’s Comments About Playing in the Olympics
After the Bengals’ OTAs practice on May 27, Chase spoke with reporters and was asked about whether or not he would want to represent the United States. But given the timing of the Olympics and the logistics of it all, he wants to find out more information before coming to a firm decision.
“I don’t know,” Chase said. “I want to hear more information about it. I want to know the timing for us, offseason, in season. I want to know if we’re getting paid. I want to know where we traveling every other week or every day, like all that plays a part, because we have an offseason, we have a life. How long would that be? I don’t know. There’s a lot of questions to it. I think it’s pretty cool, but I’m not really 100% on it yet.”
Wide receiver could be the most intriguing position for the United States. With options such as Chase, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, Malik Nabers, among others, there are a plethora of choices that the United States could go with in terms of who it wants to fill out the roster. But currently one of the best receivers in the NFL and coming off of a career season, Chase figures to be a top choice.
What Others are Saying About the Olympics
Having NFL players will undoubtedly generate a lot of buzz for flag football ahead of its Olympic debut, but there are some that are not happy with the decision. United States flag football quarterback, Darrell Doucette, hopes that the current flag football players have a fair shot at an Olympic roster spot and even went as far to say that NFL players should not expect to be handed a spot on the team. However, he did also say that if those players prove they deserve a spot, then they should have one.
“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 told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country.”
Others, such as Philadelphia Eagles receiver, A.J. Brown are unlikely to participate due to the competition being held during training camp while others, such as Hill and Jefferson, have expressed their excitement over the idea.
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