There are two sides to NFL players being approved to play flag football in the Olympics, the other being USA Football, which runs the men's and women's international teams. Though generally supportive of the NFL's decision, the organization's CEO and executive director Scott Hallenbeck issued a statement Tuesday after the NFL owners' unanimous vote:
“On behalf of USA Football, I’d like to thank NFL clubs for approving the resolution allowing NFL players to participate in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles ... As the National Governing Body of American football, we have a tremendous responsibility ahead of us — selecting, training and leading the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams for LA28.
“We’re fortunate to have a talent pool that already features prominent flag football stars who have helped USA Football establish a gold-medal standard in international competition ... We look forward to working with the NFL on the specific opportunities that NFL players can use to showcase their skills and become eligible for selection to Team USA.”
Olympic flag football will play 5-on-5. Hallenbeck walks a difficult tightrope. On one hand, the inclusion of NFL players rasies the profile of the sport as it makes its devut on a trial basis. On the other, is ensuring those who've grown the game and already won on the international level get their Olympic opportunity. It will be interesting to see how many NFL players will want to play — only one per team allowed to try out — and how they'll fit into a demonstrably different game.
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THE ASYLUM
Bob Maddamma
12:55 am - 05.21.2025rochester, n.y.There are two sides to NFL players being approved to play flag football in the Olympics, the other being USA Football, which runs the men's and women's international teams. Though generally supportive of the NFL's decision, the organization's CEO and executive director Scott Hallenbeck issued a statement Tuesday after the NFL owners' unanimous vote:
“On behalf of USA Football, I’d like to thank NFL clubs for approving the resolution allowing NFL players to participate in the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles ... As the National Governing Body of American football, we have a tremendous responsibility ahead of us — selecting, training and leading the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams for LA28.
“We’re fortunate to have a talent pool that already features prominent flag football stars who have helped USA Football establish a gold-medal standard in international competition ... We look forward to working with the NFL on the specific opportunities that NFL players can use to showcase their skills and become eligible for selection to Team USA.”
Olympic flag football will play 5-on-5. Hallenbeck walks a difficult tightrope. On one hand, the inclusion of NFL players rasies the profile of the sport as it makes its devut on a trial basis. On the other, is ensuring those who've grown the game and already won on the international level get their Olympic opportunity. It will be interesting to see how many NFL players will want to play — only one per team allowed to try out — and how they'll fit into a demonstrably different game.
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