NFL Stars Were Dominated in Flag Football
When it was announced that flag football would be held at the 2028 Olympics, it was also revealed that NFL players would be able to play. This prompted the discussion about which superstars could help bring gold to the USA. The sports world began to speculate whether Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson would be better for the team.
We wondered if Derrick Henry might make a good addition or if a speedster like Jahmyr Gibbs was needed. There wasn't a ton of thought put towards the idea that the existing Team USA team would be good enough to skip NFL players.
After a flag football tournament in which Team USA was initially not invited but ended up playing the NFL stars twice, it became clear that it was a gross oversight. The stars were totally outmatched in this sport.
NFL dominated by Team USA Flag Football team
The team the NFL sent to this Flag Football Tournament wasn't the best of the best, but plenty of good players (and former players) went. They learned firsthand how different the sport is. It's football, but the intricacies are so different.
For example, Luke Kuechly was a tackling machine in his heyday. Had this been contact football, he would've run over the opponents. Forced to use his hands to try to pull a flag instead, he was a little out of his element. It showed. Everyone was a little out of their element.
Joe Burrow and Tom Brady each led a team of mostly NFL stars or former stars. Team USA dominated Brady's squad 43-16 after throttling Burrow's team 39-16. The National Football League teams were thoroughly embarrassed.
Though they weren't all on the same team, these players suited up and faced Team USA in some capacity:
- Tom Brady
- Joe Burrow
- Luke Kuechly
- Jayden Daniels
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- DeAndre Hopkins
- Jalen Hurts
- Alvin Kamara
- Devonta Smith
- Rob Gronkowski
- Saquon Barkley
- Davante Adams
- Jalen Ramsey
- Ashton Jeanty
- Stefon Diggs
- Von Miller
- Patrick Peterson
Those aren't the top tier of the league, for the most part, but they're all excellent football players. They just paled in comparison to actual flag football players on Team USA, showcasing how hard it might be for them to make the Olympic team.
Luke Kuechly admits defeat
Luke Kuechly was one of the best linebackers in history, but he had no shot at taking down the Team USA skill players who ran wild on his defense. He admitted after that it was almost a different sport than he's used to.
"Their skill set was very different than anything we’ve ever seen in the NFL,” said Kuechly via The Athletic. “The speed, the quickness, the ability to create space — our inability to put our hands on those guys made the game very difficult. The scheme is very different. The concepts are very different, and I think with time it will change, and we’ll have a better feel for it.”
Team USA star Darrell “Housh” Doucette was emotional after his team's domination. In 2024, when news broke and the talk was all about which NFL players we'd send to the Olympics, he hit back at that. He said he would be a better flag QB than Patrick Mahomes.
“I made some remarks that was totally misconstrued and misunderstood,” Doucette said after the tournament. “All I was speaking of was about giving my brothers a fair chance to make (the Olympics in) 2028. We came out this weekend with that on our mind to say, ‘Let’s show these guys that we are talented, that we are flag football and not to be overlooked by anyone in the world.'”
They did show that, proving that the 2028 Olympic team might not draw much from the National Football League.
