Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons is making it known: He wants to represent Team USA in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) officially adding flag football to the slate for 2028, Parsons said he wants in, even if it’s in a role on offense.
“I’m going on the U.S. Team,” Parsons said on his “The Edge” podcast Tuesday. “I’m gonna go win an Olympic gold medal because I can’t do it in track and I can’t do it in anything else, but I know I can play some flag football. I think I might be playing offense for the guys, so I’ll be joining the team. I heard Tyreek [Hill] said that he is joining, so me and Tyreek’s gonna start it off.”
Parsons doesn’t plan on going with just Hill, who said last week he wants to play in the Olympics. He wants to create an American superteam, and is calling on the stars of the NFL to commit.
“All our guys should be in that team,” Parsons said. “We need Justin Jefferson out there… need Ja’Marr Chase, CeeDee Lamb. We should run through everybody just like we do in wrestling and everything else.”
Along with a crop of the game’s best, future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski could take part as well. The 34-year-old former tight end, who retired from the NFL after the 2021 season, recently told TMZ he wants to play flag football in the Olympics.
“Hopefully there’s no tryouts and they just accept me,” Gronkowski said. “But I’m in. I’m going for that if there is flag football in the Olympics in 2028.”
Micah Parsons, other NFL players need clearance to compete in 2028 Olympics
Along with flag football, the IOC voted Monday to add baseball/softball, cricket, lacrosse and squash to the 2028 Olympics. With flag football officially an Olympic sport, the next step will be getting clearance for NFL players to participate. NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said Tuesday the league will work with the players’ union on allowing both current and former players to participate in the 2028 Olympics.
“It is the pinnacle of sport globally,” O’Reilly said, via ESPN. “Ultimately, that decision on the makeup of Team USA is a decision of USA Football and the national governing body or the governing bodies around the world in similar roles because we are thinking about Team USA. But there are also a lot of other passports in the NFL — 113 foreign-born players on NFL rosters as of Week 5.
“So, that opportunity for athletes to represent their countries, we understand the desire, what they have spoken out about and what we will continue to do is work with the players, [NFL] Players Association and the clubs in the time ahead to determine the process and then work with USA Football and IFAF on that.”
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