Flag Football in Olympics: This All-Packers Team Would Win Gold

By a 32-0 vote, NFL players will be allowed to play flag football in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

What if you formed a flag football team out of only Green Bay Packers players?

The International Federation of American Football has hosted a flag football world championship every two years since 2002. The United States participated for the first time in 2008, so this team consists of players who were with the Packers in 2008 or later.

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is one of the most accurate passers in NFL history. During his legendary career with the Packers, he had the mobility to extend plays out of the pocket or freeze defenders in the pocket. He also had the intelligence to manipulate defenses before the snap and experience to manipulate defensive backs after the snap. On a 50-yard field, a touchdown would always be a flick of the wrist away.

Receiver: Davante Adams

Davante Adams, who needs 43 receptions to become the 16th player in NFL history with 1,000, is a legendary route runner with superb hands. With the Packers, Raiders and Jets, he’s recorded five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with a total of 59 touchdowns during that span. At 6-foot-1, Adams doesn’t have imposing size but he was superb in jump-ball situations.

Receiver: Christian Watson

No, Christian Watson isn’t one of the best receivers in the NFL. He doesn’t even compare to Jordy Nelson and Greg Jennings among receivers of recent Packers vintage. But with an elite combination of size and speed, what Italian or Austrian defensive back would be able to stick with Watson on a go route?

Receiver: Randall Cobb

Teams hardly ever run the football in flag football, and they can’t run the ball at all when within 5 yards of midfield (a first down) or 5 yards of the goal line. However, there are some cool gadget plays involving backward passes. Remember, Cobb played quarterback at Kentucky, so he’d give Team USA some options. Plus, he was a sensational route-runner over the middle.

Center: Jayden Reed

In flag football, the center is an eligible receiver. Since every play is snapped in the middle of the field, Reed’s quickness would be electric. Is he going to take his route to the left? To the right? Or he could always go deep, where he had the highest catch rate of any receiver in the NFL last season.

Cornerback: Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, intercepted 38 passes in only seven seasons with the Packers. Few players in NFL history could match Woodson’s ability to read the quarterback and make him pay for throwing it his direction. And if one of the receivers needed a breather, Woodson could do double duty.

Cornerback: Jaire Alexander

The last time he was healthy, Jaire Alexander intercepted five passes to earn second-team All-Pro in 2022. When he’s on his game, Alexander’s got great anticipation and ball skills. He has the quickness to stick with quick receivers and a history of holding his own against taller targets.

Cornerback: Nick Collins

OK, so Nick Collins was an elite safety. But he was drafted as a cornerback and had the ball skills to match. In earning second-team All-Pro in 2008, 2009 and 2010, he intercepted 17 passes, including three pick-sixes in 2008.

Safety: Xavier McKinney

In flag football, there are three cornerbacks, one safety and one pass rusher. In his first season with the Packers, Xavier McKinney intercepted eight passes – the most by a Packers player since Woodson’s nine in 2009. Like Woodson, McKinney has an uncanny ability to know what’s coming and make the play.

Pass Rusher: Clay Matthews

In flag football, the defense can rush one player, who lines up 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. With the quarterback in shotgun, it’s a 14-yard sprint to the passer. Matthews also morphed into a stud linebacker, so he’d have the skill to rush the quarterback and prevent him from extending plays.

For the 2028 Olympics, NFL teams can have only one player selected. In case of injury, there will be a salary-cap credit.

The 2028 Summer Games are scheduled from July 14 through July 30, so there could be some overlap with the start of training camps.

“It’s an incredible honor for any athlete to represent their country in the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of global sport,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “I know firsthand that the inclusion of flag football in the Olympics has sparked a tremendous amount of excitement among NFL players interested in the chance to compete for their country on the world stage. We are thrilled that they will now have that chance.”