Olympics flag football is coming in 2028, so we drafted teams with NFL players. Would who win?

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Olympic flag football is on the way, so let’s draft some teams!

We’re in the tail end of the 2024 Paris Olympics, which means we can start looking forward to 2028 in Los Angeles! As you may know, the United States as host country is adding flag football to the slate of games — and right now it’s utterly mystifying how 95% of the world is going to find a team capable of contending. Meanwhile the USA will get to stack their team with NFL players, using some of the biggest football stars in the world to grind everyone into a fine paste in the pursuit of gold.

We’ll let Germany and Poland worry about how they’re fielding a team. Today we decided to sit down and draft our ultimate 5v5 flag football team out of current football players. We’re not projecting ahead to 2028, or where football players will be — rather this is who we’d take right now to compete against the world.

So you’re aware of how 5v5 works: Traditionally you have a quarterback, two receivers, a running back, and a tight end who plays double duty as a de facto center who hikes the ball, then runs a route. The receivers will double as cornerbacks on defense, while the quarterback, running back, and tight end will all play hybrid linebackers or safeties. So let’s see who we took.

David Fucillo

WR Tyreek Hill
QB Kyler Murray
WR Xavier Worthy
RB Raheem Mostert
TE/QB Taysom Hill

The name of the game is speed. We grabbed three of the fastest skill position players in the NFL in Hill, Worthy, and Mostert. I was surprised Worthy, the new Combine 40-yard dash record-holder fell as far he did, but I’ll take him. There are plenty of interesting quarterbacks, but Murray strikes me as the right blend of speed, athleticism, and arm strength to make plays. Some would view Hill as a waste of a pick, but as my team’s center, his QB skills offer a little something extra. I’ll admit, I was tempted to draft John Ross with my last pick just because this might be the one football thing he could be consistently good at.

Mark Schofield

QB Lamar Jackson
WR/CB Travis Hunter
WR DeVonta Smith
TE Kyle Pitts
RB Chase Brown

I was pleasantly surprised to see Lamar Jackson fall to me with the sixth pick, as I think he would be deadly in this format and was happy to make that selection.

When we first discussed this idea, I immediately thought of Travis Hunter. Not only will his two-way experience be critical, but in the back of my mind I kept thinking that we are talking about the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, and by then he might be a force. I think DeVonta Smith could also shine in this format, and taking the proverbial “matchup weapon” like Kyle Pitts and using him as the center seems like both a smart move and still an improvement over how Arthur Smith used him.

As for Chase Brown? As tracked by NFL Next Gen Stats only D.K. Metcalf was a faster ball-carrier during the 2023 season. That will work.

James Dator

RB Christian McCaffrey
QB Cam Newton
WR Ja’Marr Chase
WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
TE George Kittle

So look, we’re going to need to discuss the elephant in the room first: HELL YEAH I TOOK CAM NEWTON TO BE MY QUARTERBACK!

I don’t care for a damn second that he’s 35-years-old. Have you seen the shape Newton is in? I’d wager he’s in better condition than over half of NFL quarterbacks right now. Furthermore, flag is a format where he can absolutely shine. The issues with Cam at this point is that he’s an injury risk in full contact football, and he can no longer overwhelm NFL-caliber defenses with his physical gifts.

In flag there’s no contact. There’s no NFL-level defense. It’s tailor-made for Newton to succeed. I essentially get a second running back, who’s elusive as hell, one of the best improvisers the game has ever seen, and when it comes to quarterbacking his job is basically to just let it rip. I have weapons at every position who can make this shine, and when the predominant defense is coming from wide receivers converted to cornerback I think I’m in great shape.

CMC, Chase and Kittle speak for themselves. Harrison Jr. is about the only place where you could slam me for taking promise over proven NFL talent, but based on where I took him in Round 4 it made too much sense to take the (soon-to-be) best young receiver in the NFL, rather than reaching for someone else.

I’m mega-confident my team could body the competition.

Jared Mueller

WR Jaylen Waddle
RB De’Von Achane
QB Joe Burrow
TE David Njoku
CB Jalen Ramsey

For me, speed and age were the highest priority. With the first overall pick, Waddle made a ton of sense. He’s fast, elusive and quick while also being younger than his teammate Tyreek Hill. Achane has all of those characteristics as well and rushed for 800 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie.

With six quarterbacks off the board already, Burrow becomes my point guard style QB to distribute the ball around quickly and accurately.

Njoku could play for the US or Nigeria, where he is “Chief.” His size and athleticism make him a good center to snap the ball and block when needed while also having the ability to run away from smaller defenders and ward them off with his strength. Ramsey is the oldest player on my roster but, imagining two-way players, I wanted a defender with some size and athleticism to keep things together on that side of the ball.

Even if not the bigger names, I feel really confident that my team can be explosive while also keeping drives moving when needed.

Kyle Thele

WR DK Metcalf
QB Josh Allen
RB Kenneth Walker III
CB Sauce Gardner
TE Brock Bowers

Drafting last isn’t for the stubborn. You have to be quick on your feet, mentally athletic and ready to change directions on a dime. Like every good team, my team is clearly taking the personality of its coach.

Were any of these players my top choice? Listen, we have all the answers in our locker room right now. Pure speed was my initial first priority, and while the team is full of burners, they aren’t necessarily the first names most people think of. Metcalf is absolutely the star of the team. He’s a true speed threat to take the top off the defense, but with the skill and size to get open on a smaller flag football field. Similarly, Allen is a proven star who has the pure athleticism and arm strength to make any of these tight window throws work.

But things got more interesting in the later rounds. I hadn’t planned on drafting a running back, but the open field speed of Walker along with his shiftiness with the ball made him valuable.

Then I took a little bit of a left turn with Sauce Gardner, the lone defensive player on the team. The best cornerback in the game, I’m backing on Gardner to shut down the top threat on the other end of the field and level the playing field.

With my last pick I took a bit of a risk on rookie Brock Bowers. An elite tight end in college, he’s a natural pass catcher and can get open at the highest level. Also, he’s just big enough to play center on a flag team.

This team is going to surprise the world.

JP Acosta

WR Justin Jefferson
QB CJ Stroud
RB Jahmyr Gibbs
WR CeeDee Lamb
TE Sam LaPorta

With having the 4th pick of this snake draft, it took me out of Mahomes range. I’m starting off with Justin Jefferson, the best receiver in football and he’s only 25 years old. In 2028 he’ll be 29, maybe towards the end of the athletic peak but we never know. QB was easy after that: reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year CJ Stroud was going to be my next pick if I couldn’t get Mahomes. I love Stroud’s ability to push the ball without putting the ball in harms’ way. I wanted a RB on the team because they do matter, so with Bijan Robinson and Christian McCaffrey off the board I took Jahmyr Gibbs. He’s a great receiver out the backfield, and his field-tilting speed will be an asset to the team. Lamb is great after the catch, just like TE Sam LaPorta, and both will be in their athletic primes by 2028.

This is the best team when it comes to maximizing both current NFL talent and projections for 2028.

Jeanna Kelley

QB Patrick Mahomes
RB Bijan Robinson
TE/C Travis Kelce
WR Garrett Wilson
S Jessie Bates

You may have read blurb after blurb about these teams and wondered, “Where the heck is Patrick Mahomes?”

Well, he’s on my roster. I was looking for players who have the athletic talent to play both ways, and I believe Mahomes is the most athletic quarterback in the league. Any flag football team with him on it is going to be hard to beat. Factor in his pal and favorite target Travis Kelce (who will also have to play center in this scenario), a big kid who seems like he would have the most fun playing flag football, and you’ve got a winning combination.

Beyond that, Bijan Robinson and Jessie Bates both have the athleticism and versatility to play both ways and impact both sides of the field. Bijan’s got the speed to run down ball carriers, the power and get-off to disrupt opposing quarterbacks, and his flexibility as a runner or receiver out of the backfield is an asset. Bates was near the top of the league in interceptions last season, so he can catch the ball, and he’d do a great job directing these other offensive players on what to do defensively. Garrett Wilson’s here primarily to catch the ball (and because I’m an Ohio State fan, let’s be real).

I tend to believe any team with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce on it is going to be the best team. Source: Back-to-back Super Bowls for the Chiefs.