Jalen Hurts promotes Flag Football for LA 2028: Will NFL players be allowed to play?

The 2028 Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles, California. Appropriately, the Olympics have added America’s most popular sport to the Games just in time for it to be held there in four years, albeit with a few more flags.

For the first time in history, men and women’s flag football will officially be added to the Games for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the NFL is hard at work to promote the new addition. On Monday, the league released a promotional video featuring Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. In the video, Hurts is shown at the Los Angeles Memorial Colosseum. He lights a football on fire and throws it into the Olympic torch to light it, saying, “It’s our turn”.

Will NFL players be able to participate in flag football in the 2028 Olympics?

Hurts will serve as the global ambassador for flag football, but ironically, it’s still not clear if he’ll actually be able to participate in the Games - or if any NFL player will, for that matter. Several NFL players have expressed interest in competing in the Games, including Miami Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill and Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

However, if the Los Angeles Olympics follow the same schedule they did in Paris, then the Games could interfere with the start of NFL training camps. The league, which is keen to promote the sport on an international level, is working with the NFLPA to figure out a way for its players to compete.

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

It’s not only the schedule that could prove to be problematic for the NFL, but there’s also the risk of injury as well. However, as the league was part of the lobby to add flag football to the Olympics to begin with, it’s highly likely they’ll find a way to work out the kinks so that their players can participate.

Other Olympic sports which allow and prohibit players from the U.S. leagues

As for other American leagues whose sports are already a part of the Games, there are some which allow their players to compete in the Olympics and some which do not. Baseball has been an on-and-off sport in the Summer Olympics and will be brought back in 2028. MLB players have never competed in the Olympics.

Ice hockey has been a part of the Winter Olympics since 1920. NHL players participated in their first Games in 1998 and continued to be a part of the Olympics until 2014. After that, the players were forced to sit out due to insurance issues. However, the NHL players will be allowed to compete in the 2026 and 2030 Olympic Games as part of an agreement amongst the NHL, NHL Players’ Association, International Ice Hockey Federation and the IOC.

Men’s basketball has been at the Summer Olympics since 1936 and women’s basketball since 1976. NBA and WNBA players have consistently competed in the Olympics since 1992.