Which Former Oregon Ducks Could Win Gold Medal At Summer Olympics' Flag Football?

"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," said NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell on the decision.

"Players have expressed to us a great desire for the honor of competing in the Olympics, and we're excited that our members will be able to represent their country on the highest international stage. We look forward to working with the league, IFAF, and Olympic authorities on the terms of their participation to ensure players who compete will do so with protections to their health, safety and job," said a statement from NFL Players Association executive director Lloyd Howell Jr.

"It's only going to help the sport to get it around the world," said former Duck and New England Patriot cornerback Christian Gonzalez in a promotional video about the NFL's decision.

Olympics flag football works in teams of ten, with five players on the 50-yard field at a time (10-yards are allotted for each endzone). Players typically specialize in either offense or defense and there are no offensive or defensive linemen. Like regular flag football, each athlete will wear two cloth flags that are counted as a "tackle" when pulled in an attempt to prevent collisions.

"A maximum of one player from each team will be allowed to participate and each club's designated international player is also permitted to take part for his country," an NFL article by Grant Gordon said about these designations.

Athletes with dual citizenship in the US and another country must chose which country they'd like to compete for. For example, Gonzalez's father is from Colombia, and therefore Gonzalez has the option to register as a dual citizen and be the Patriot's international athlete.

It's also highly unlikely any athlete drafted in 2025 will be given the "OK" from their team to compete, so eliminating rookies seems like the correct thought process.

So with the rules laid out, here are the current NFL athletes and former Ducks who could be eligible to play in the Olympics (omitting defensive linemen and offensive linemen).

Ducks in the NFL eligible for Olympics Flag Football:

- DJ Johnson, Linebacker, Carolina Panthers
- Noah Sewell, Linebacker, Chicago Bears
- Troy Franklin, Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos
- Bo Nix, Quarterback, Denver Broncos
- Evan Williams, Safety, Green Bay Packers
- Jamal Hill, Linebacker, Houston Texans
- Johnny Johnson III, Wide Receiver, Houston Texans
- Johnny Mundt, Tight End, Jacksonville Jaguars
- Troy Dye , Linebacker, Los Angeles Chargers
- Justin Herbert, Quarterback, Los Angeles Chargers
- Pharaoh Brown, Tight End, Miami Dolphins
- Christian Gonzalez, Cornerback, New England Patriots
- Ugo Amadi, Safety, New Orleans Saints
- Juwan Johnson, Tight End, New Orleans Saints
- Bucky Irving, Running Back, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Jevon Holland, Safety, New York Giants
- Kayvon Thibodeaux, Linebacker, New York Giants
- Brandon Johnson, Cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles
- Deommodore Lenoir, Cornerback, San Francisco 49ers
- Marcus Mariota , Quarterback, Washington Commanders