Bengals’ Joe Burrow targets 2028 Olympics after Flag Football Classic
Before throwing a few touchdown passes and nearly running for another in Saturday’s inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made it clear he wants to play for Team USA in Los Angeles during the 2028 Olympics. Flag football is joining the summer schedule for the first time and the NFL has already voted to allow active players to participate.
“I always wanted to play in the Olympics. I’ve never necessarily played an Olympic sport before, so when it was announced, I was pretty excited about it,” Burrow said before his Wildcats FFC team went 1-2 in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic round robin. “The opportunity to win a gold medal (is) something I’ve been thinking about – at a time like this – for a long time, since I was a kid. I think it would be something very special.”
Burrow looked extremely competitive during the event, rebounding from an early interception return for a touchdown with some turning plays against Team USA and Tom Brady’s Founders FFC to advance to the finals. Burrow nearly ran the length of the field for a touchdown on one call, avoiding contact near midfield before weaving his way out of a flag grab as he approached the end zone.
Burrow raised eyebrows several times during collisions, visibly crashing to the turf near the 1-yard line during the second half of a loss to Team USA. Burrow was immediately taken to the ground and his flag removed after catching a pass from Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels on fourth-and-goal, leading him to plead with the officials.
Burrow wanted a penalty on the play against the Team USA defensive back for contact, but didn’t get a whistle.
Lists will be decided later
With nearly two years to finalize Team USA’s 10-man roster, not every spot is guaranteed to be filled by NFL players. Darrell “Housh” Doucette, who has played quarterback for the USA Football men’s national team since 2021, said last year that his teammates felt “sidelined” by their professional colleagues and wanted fair treatment during the Olympic roster selection process.
Doucette made his presence felt Saturday with several noteworthy plays and he’s still in danger of scoring in space, especially when he’s not making a play with his arm. One of flag football’s ambassadors helped Team USA torch both teams of NFL players and celebrities, going 3-0 in round robin play by a combined score of 106-44.
“The flag guys deserve their opportunity. That’s all we want,” Doucette told the Washington Post.. “We felt like we had worked hard to get the sport to where it is, and then when the NFL guys talked about it, it was like we were being pushed aside. I felt like I was the guy who could speak for my peers, my brothers who worked hard to get to this level, so we wouldn’t be forgotten.”
Saturday was a barometer of sorts to see how amateur athletes would fare against current and former NFL players.
“It’s a sport we’ve been doing for a long time and we feel like we’re the best at this sport and we don’t need any other guys,” Doucette said last year. “But we all have one goal in mind, which is to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competitions. If these guys come in and do well and are better than us, hats off. Go win that gold medal for our country.”
The good news for Doucette and his teammates is that USA Football will handle the selection process, not the NFL, according to Roger Goodell. There’s a good chance the roster finalized in 2028 will be comprised of NFL talent and flag football experts.
