Josh Allen has made it clear he would welcome the chance to represent Team USA in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics, saying he would be “very honored” to do it.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback and 2024 NFL MVP was speaking in the context of a sport that is expected to make its Olympic debut two years from now, with the format seen as one that can fit before NFL training camps open. That timing matters. It is one of the reasons the idea of active NFL players taking part has gained traction so quickly.
Allen did not present it as a certainty, but he did not hide his interest either. “I’m interested,” he said, before adding: “I’ve always thought it would be really cool to compete for my country. Now, if I have the skillset, that’s a different story.”
Allen is open to the challenge
Allen’s honesty about the skill set required is part of what makes the comment stand out. He was refreshingly direct about the differences between traditional football and flag football, saying he had watched it recently on TV and noted how differently those players move.
“Those guys just kind of move different,” Allen said. “Their hips are dipping a foot down and their able to evade. I can throw with the best of them. But I’m better at usually running through people than spinning and getting around them.”
That is a fair summary of the debate around NFL stars in Olympic flag football. The athletic profile is similar, but the style of play is not. The game places a premium on space, agility and quick changes of direction, which means even elite NFL talent would still have to adjust.
Goodell says players want the stage
Roger Goodell added to the sense that Olympic flag football could attract genuine star power. Last Thursday, speaking on ’s “Women's Sports Now,” he said many players are already talking about taking part.
“I’ve had a lot of players that have said, ‘We want to participate in that,’” Goodell said. He added: “These players are competitors, and they love the big stage. To win a gold medal or any medal is something I think they would all treasure. They talk about it all the time.”
Goodell then went a step further. “So I absolutely believe we’re going to have players in the Olympics,” he said.
That is the key point for the sport’s early profile. If active NFL names do appear, the flag football tournament will arrive with a built-in audience and immediate attention. Allen, as one of the league’s biggest figures, would only add to that momentum.
For now, there is no final answer on who will actually make the Team USA group. But Allen’s comments show that the possibility is real, and that the appeal of the Olympic stage is already strong enough to interest one of the NFL’s top players.
Two years from now, when the 2028 Summer Olympics arrive, the conversation may be less about whether NFL players would want the spot and more about which ones can actually earn it. Allen has already made his case: he is interested, and he would be very honored to go.
