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Bills' Josh Allen opens door to Olympic flag football possibility

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ronnie Eastham | Last updated Jun 11, 2025 1:20 PM ET

It's safe to say that most of us at some point in our lives have played some variation of flag football. You can take a drive around town on Thanksgiving morning and see hundreds of families in local parks with "fields" identified with cones set up. What you may not realize is just how long the sport of flag football has been around.

The game dates back to the 1940s during the World War II era. It was a way U.S. soldiers could play football without the high risk of injuries. The game has grown immensely since then, to include national and international leagues, governed by the National Flag Football Association and the International Federation of American Football, respectively.

Now,flag football is coming to the Olympics, and the NFL owners recently voted, allowing their players to participate.

Naturally, this begs the question, will the 2028 Olympics feature flag football's version of the "Dream Team"? And who better to lead the United States to Olympic gold than Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen, the NFL's reigning MVP?

"I'm not going to disrespect the guys that are playing flag football right now, If there was an opportunity for me to try, I would absolutely love to. I've always wanted to compete for my country. Every time the Olympics are on, I'm tuned into the screen. But I think there's really no greater honor to do that. That'd be really cool. But I guess we'll find out," said Allen..

We may not get a chance to see Allen competing for Olympic gold in Los Angeles, but maybe in the 2032 games. Of course, Allen will be 37 years old by then, and may have to step aside for the younger guys at that point.

All kidding aside, featuring NFL players will be a big-time draw for the event, and it will be interesting to see if any players take up the offer in 2028.