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As the sport of American football continues to grow and reach a more international audience, there has been significant news shaping the sport's future.
Starting in 2028, the Olympics will be adding flag football to its list of sports that will be taking place in the summer.
It's been a large conversation as the event will take place in the United States, in Los Angeles, California, and will run from July 14-30.
With flag football making its debut, some of the rules that will take place include six men's and six women's teams that will consist of rosters up to 10 players and will be played in a five-on-five format.
Although it's not required, many players from the NFL have shown interest in playing in the sport.
Minnesota Vikings' wide receiver Justin Jefferson seems to be ecstatic about the opportunity.
"To think about the chance of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal, it’s a dream," the NFL FLAG ambassador said back on May 20.
“To think about the chance of playing in the Olympics and getting a gold medal, it’s a dream.”@NFLFLAG ambassador Justin Jefferson shares his excitement for Flag Football joining the 2028 Olympics in LA! @jjettas2 pic.twitter.com/v0gUfZtNRP
— NFL (@NFL) May 20, 2025
With some players in the NFL showing excitement, there have also been others who have already opted out of a chance of earning an Olympic medal for their country.
Patrick Mahomes speaks on the chance of him playing in 2028 Olympics
While there are plenty of prospects who could represent the United States, one of the NFL's biggest stars, Patrick Mahomes, is leaning toward giving that opportunity to athletes who are younger than he is.
"I'll probably leave that to the younger guys," he said on Thursday, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on potentially playing flag football in the 2028 Olympics: “I’ll probably leave that to the younger guys.”
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 29, 2025
Mahomes would be 32 years old by the time the 2028 Summer Olympics kick off, and it seems he would be more interested in keeping his body healthy in order to chase more Super Bowl wins with the Kansas City Chiefs.
More must-reads:
- It's time for the Bengals to meet their disgruntled star halfway
- New list further highlights QB Jayden Daniels' value to Commanders
- The 'NFL stadium names' quiz
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Commanders reportedly hesitant about one issue with Terry McLaurin deal
The 2024 offseason expanded the $30M-per-year wide receiver club to six members. D.K. Metcalf, Ja’Marr Chase and Garrett Wilson have taken it to nine this year. Terry McLaurin is undoubtedly pushing to bump that number to 10, after seeing 2019 Day 2 classmates Metcalf and A.J. Brown land among that contingent. McLaurin reported to training camp Sunday and landed on the active/PUP list. As our Rory Parks explained, skepticism exists about how injured the Commanders’ top wide receiver really is. An ankle injury has keyed the PUP stay, but it can be safely assumed McLaurin would be ready to practice if an extension comes to pass. Nevertheless, the Commanders have been surprised by the difficulty of these talks. Using an injury to avoid practicing while negotiating — developments the Jonathan Taylor and Micah Parsons sagas brought — represents a third tactic, joining the holdout and the increasingly utilized hold-in amid extension talks. McLaurin shifted from a holdout to the injury route; no matter how he is accomplishing not practicing, the seventh-year veteran is aiming to land a lucrative third contract. His age provides a complication for Washington. McLaurin is going into an age-30 season, separating him from Brown and Metcalf. Both Ole Miss products were drafted just before McLaurin, a 2019 third-round pick, but they are each two years younger. This strengthened their cases for big-ticket third contracts. McLaurin went first to ignite the second-tier boom on the receiver market in 2022, agreeing to a three-year, $69.6M extension. That shaped the Metcalf and Deebo Samuel extensions, both of which coming in higher than McLaurin’s despite the latter’s consistency with suboptimal quarterback situations. McLaurin’s AAV has dropped to 17th at wide receiver. The Commanders are prepared to extend their top wideout, but Sportskeeda.com’s Tony Pauline indicates the "holdup" is regarding the $30M-AAV number. Some around the league point to the team not wanting to go into that neighborhood for McLaurin, despite his five 1,000-yard seasons. Courtland Sutton and McLaurin are nearly the same age, and the Broncos’ top target signed a four-year, $92M extension. That matches where the Titans went for Calvin Ridley (now 30) in 2024. McLaurin, though, has a better resume than both and should be aiming higher. The Commanders have a Jayden Daniels rookie contract to structure another McLaurin extension around as well. Adam Peters was around for the 49ers’ 2022 Samuel extension but not Brandon Aiyuk‘s $30M-per-year deal. (The Samuel extension also did not work out for the 49ers, who proceeded with a salary dump of sorts by trading him to the Commanders.) The second-year GM taking a hardline stance with McLaurin would be an interesting route given the WR’s importance to a sudden contender. Peters confirmed talks are ongoing, with that comment coming after McLaurin expressed frustration about the negotiations. A potential gap between the pack of 20-somethings (and Tyreek Hill) north of $30M AAV and the Tee Higgins–Jaylen Waddle–D.J. Moore tier could be relevant here, and it will be interesting to see if McLaurin settles for something just south of that $30MM benchmark. Guarantees and contract structure, of course, will be important to determining the value as well. A short-term extension should be reached soon, per Pauline, but if the Commanders hold the line at or around $30M, the McLaurin matter could drag on for a while longer.
Oilers to Acquire a Top-Tier Goalie. An Official Trade Offer Is on the Table in a Blockbuster Deal
The Boston Bruins have been under pressure to retool after a disappointing season, and now a potential blockbuster move could shake the entire NHL. A major trade proposal has surfaced that could send a star goaltender to the Edmonton Oilers, a move that would give them the elite presence they've lacked in net while forcing Boston closer to a rebuild. The deal being floated by multiple outlets would send Edmonton's current starter, Stuart Skinner, along with Matthew Savoie, Beau Akey, and a 2028 first-round pick to Boston, while the Oilers land a goaltender capable of changing their Cup window overnight. Edmonton's push for a franchise goalie could reshape the Western Conference and challenge the Dallas Stars' path to the Cup If this trade goes through, the Oilers would instantly address one of their biggest weaknesses, setting up a showdown with teams like the Dallas Stars, who already see Edmonton as one of their toughest rivals. Boston, on the other hand, would fully commit to a rebuild, pairing Joonas Korpisalo with Skinner in what could be one of the NHL's weakest tandems, likely boosting their draft lottery odds in one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory (NHL.com). An insider noted, "They weren't the only ones who had inquired about Swayman, but yes, I was told they poked around." That comment shows just how wide the interest is for this level of goalie talent (Heavy.com). I think this kind of trade would completely shift the balance of power in the West, making Edmonton even more dangerous for teams like Dallas, who could end up facing a vastly upgraded Oilers team in the playoffs. If Boston truly embraces a rebuild, moving their top goaltender could be the first domino in a massive roster overhaul, something that could shake the market for weeks.
Thorbjorn Olesen, Cristobal Del Solar tied for Canadian Open lead
Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and PGA Tour rookie Cristobal Del Solar of Chile each posted a 9-under-par 61 to share the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open on Thursday in Caledon, Ontario. Olesen and Del Solar took full advantage of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley in the venue's PGA Tour debut. They own a one-shot lead over Cameron Champ; Jake Knapp is alone in fourth at 7-under 63. Shane Lowry of Ireland went out in 5-under 30 on his way to a round of 64. He is tied for fifth with Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark and Trey Mullinax. The low Canadian for the day was Taylor Pendrith (65), who set the clubhouse lead in the morning wave before several players passed him by. Defending champion Robert MacIntyre of Scotland is among the several golfers knotted with him in eighth place at 5 under. Del Solar birdied 10 of his first 16 holes to pass Olesen for the outright lead and threaten a score of 59. However, he failed to get up and down from the bunker at the par-4 17th hole and took his only bogey of the day. He missed a 15-foot putt for birdie for the outright lead at No. 18. Del Solar's claim to fame is a round of 57 he shot on the Korn Ferry Tour in February 2024. It was the lowest round ever recorded in a PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament. Olesen, meanwhile, has eight wins on the DP World Tour but is seeking his first title in the United States. Two-time Canadian champion Rory McIlroy is in danger of missing the cut after shooting a 1-over 71, which he ended with consecutive bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9. The Northern Irishman is playing for the first time since a T47 finish at the PGA Championship.
Browns owner debunks popular Shedeur Sanders narrative
Shortly after the Cleveland Browns traded up in the fifth round of the 2025 draft to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders with pick No. 144, multiple members of the NFL community strongly suggested that Browns owner Jimmy Haslam essentially forced Sanders on general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski. The fact that Sanders is clearly Cleveland's fourth-choice option at the position behind fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel, veteran Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett during training camp has done little to quiet such chatter. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday afternoon, Haslam insisted that Berry was responsible for the drafting of Sanders. Haslam added that Stefanski will ultimately decide which quarterback starts Cleveland's regular-season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 7. For an article published on April 28, Browns insider Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand wrote that the club's desire for "attention" was "one of the reasons [the Browns] drafted Sanders after previously selecting quarterback Dillon Gabriel in the third round for football reasons." Some thought in the spring that the Browns could be selected for the 2025 edition of the "Hard Knocks: Training Camp" show, but that assignment instead went to the Buffalo Bills. Pickett is spending the final days of July recovering from the worrisome hamstring injury he picked up this past Saturday. Sanders should receive additional valuable reps during training camp practices with Pickett sidelined, but Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated was sure to say on Monday that the former Colorado star "isn’t going to start" Cleveland's Week 1 game against Cincinnati. If Pickett can't participate in Cleveland's joint practice with the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 6, Flacco almost certainly will end that day as the favorite to get the nod for the matchup versus the Bengals. Interestingly, Haslam indicated on Tuesday that he wants both Gabriel and Sanders to take snaps in meaningful games against live defenses before the Browns have to determine what they will do with their pair of 2026 first-round draft picks. Berry said ahead of the final weekend of July that he's willing to stash Flacco, Pickett, Gabriel and Sanders on the active roster for Week 1. It sounds like Haslam would have nothing to do with such a decision, regardless of what certain fans and analysts want to believe about how Berry and Stefanski view Sanders this summer.
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