Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmets on the sidelines before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Buccaneers star makes hypothetical Olympic flag football dream team

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated May 21, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up for their offseason practices before the start of the 2025 season. They have welcomed in a stash of players through free agency and the NFL Draft with the hopes of escaping their recent run of early playoff exits.

The Bucs were dealt a harsh hand last season as injuries took a toll on the team on both sides of the ball, with the most glaring being on the defense as multiple players went down throughout the season.

Tampa Bay is hopeful that the same won't happen once again in 2025. The game of football is without a doubt one of the most physically challenging and taxing on its players, which is likely why it has been kept out of the Olympics, along with the fact that other countries don't have the athletes to give the United States a run for their money.

However, it was recently announced that flag football would be added to the Olympics starting in 2028, when it is hosted in Los Angeles, with NFL players officially allowed to participate.

Shortly after the announcement, speculation started to fly on who the USA would run out there for their Olympic flag football team. And, according to FOX Sports' Greg Auman, the Buccaneers should have at least one player representing the franchise in All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr.

@gregauman is giving you his Olympic flag football dream team!

What would yours look like? https://t.co/nRPyilHk6T pic.twitter.com/haxSvd7z7d
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) May 20, 2025

The game of football is expanding, and it looks like the Olympic committee is starting to pay attention. The NFL Pro Bowl has incorporated flag football into its annual Pro Bowl games, and Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was named the MVP of the game two seasons ago.

While many Bucs' fans might think Mayfield would be an obvious choice, it would be hard to pick him over other quarterbacks in the league, especially since the Olympics would encompass the entire league, not just the NFC vs. the AFC.

The Buccaneers could have plenty of young guys available in three years that could put their name in for a spot on the team, but it seems as if they would value turnovers on the defensive side of the ball, according to Auman. AWJ didn't quite have the season he had hoped in 2024 after becoming the highest-paid defensive back in the history of the NFL. However, his overall track record and future output production could make him a candidate.

We are a ways away from when the games will take place in the United States, but it is fun to try and guess who would be the best fits to represent the greatest country in the world on the gridiron.