The next ‘Dream Team’ could be made up of NFL players at 2028 Olympics

The next Olympic dream team could be made up of NFL players

Tuesday, the league voted unanimously to allow their players to compete in flag football at the 2028 Olympic Games

And lots of players are fired up about wearing USA on their jerseys

There are still numerous logistical hurdles to get through, starting with negotiations between the league and the players' union about how it will all work

The NFL will also need to have discussions with Olympic authorities and the national governing bodies for flag football to set some ground rules

Despite that, Commissioner Roger Goodell said after the vote, I think this news represents a great opportunity for the sport, for the NFL

It's truly the next step in making NFL football and football a global sport for men and women of all ages and all opportunities across the globe

The vote puts a one-player per NFL team limit on a single country's roster

So, for instance, Team USA cannot sign up Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase if both still play for the Bengals in 2028

The league must also still negotiate injury protections for players through insurance policies

and make sure a team would receive salary cap relief if any of its players are injured while participating

Standards also need to be set for field surfaces and player medical care

Even with all those issues ironed out will owners allow franchise players who are worth hundreds of millions of dollars to play in these games Jeopardizing the upcoming season and possibly their careers for a summer of flag football practices and games

doesn't really seem like something the guys writing the big checks would be in favor of

But players like Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Justin Jefferson have all expressed interest in playing

You know, just think about the chances of, you know, playing in the Olympics and, you know, getting a gold medal is a dream

You know, just reverting back to being a kid and watching the track and field, you know, meets, watching basketball win the gold medal

So, you know, that's something that as a kid I always wanted to be a part of

Many of the game's biggest stars already have experience playing in the Pro Bowl games, which began in 2023

That same year, the International Olympic Committee, seeing the sports growth, voted to add flight football to the games in Los Angeles

The LA Olympics are scheduled to start July 14th, 2028 and run until July 30th

NFL players are typically off during most of that period, with training camps opening the final week in July

More news could be coming from the league meetings in Minneapolis shortly. the owners are discussing whether to ban the infamous Tush Push play and deciding on a proposal

that could change the current playoff format seating. Both votes could happen Wednesday

For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis