Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes ‘definitely’ wants to play flag football at 2028 Olympics

LOS ANGELES – Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he is eager to suit up for Team USA when flag football makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.

This represents a massive fillip for the sport, with Mahomes considered a generational talent in the National Football League (NFL). The 28-year-old is a two-time Super Bowl winner and was named NFL Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player in 2022.

“I definitely want to but I’ve seen some of those guys play the flag football and they are a little faster than I am,” Mahomes said on Friday in Munich, where the Chiefs are set to play the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

“I know there aren’t linemen blocking for you. I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I can still move around, I’m going to try to get out there and throw the football around in LA.

“Just don’t tell coach (Andy) Reid or (general manager Brett) Veach or anybody,” the two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP said with a laugh.

Tyreek Hill, a seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who plays for the Miami Dolphins, and Micah Parsons, a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, have previously signalled their interest in playing at the 2028 Games.

“Calling all @NFL guys let’s bring one home,” Hill posted on messaging platform X in October.

American football has never featured in the Olympics as a medal event, although it was included on a “demonstration” basis in 1904 and 1932, when the Olympics were held in St Louis and Los Angeles respectively.

NFL officials have backed the inclusion of players from their league taking part in the Olympics, raising the prospect of a gridiron “dream team”.

“The league would be supportive of NFL players participating in an LA 2028 games,” Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice-president, said earlier in 2023. “The timing works in July, prior to the start of training camp, so that opportunity could exist.”

Flag football looks similar to tackle football, with passing and receiving, but requires little protective equipment, with play stopping when a defender pulls a cloth flag from the waist of an opponent.

It was among five sports added to the programme for the 2028 Games, alongside cricket, lacrosse, squash and baseball-softball.

NFL executives have said the league will work with the NFL Players Association and all 32 clubs to clear a pathway for the stars of the gridiron to have a chance to compete in the Games.

The Olympic stage could be a boon to the NFL, which is working to expand its global footprint.

Flag football’s governing body, the International Federation of American Football, has the final say over who makes the cut to play for their country. REUTERS, AFP