Tom Brady, Joe Burrow Battle U.S. Flag Football Elite: Is NFL Poised for Olympic Glory or Shocking Defeat?

“Otherwise, you’re going to get exposed. Because there’s people that do it at a very high level.”

While time in the NFL will hone players’ athleticism, professional tackle football doesn’t introduce them to many of the general nor specific skills the International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) flag game requires.

The 2028 Olympic flag football fields will stretch 50 yards long between end zones (70 total) and 25 yards wide, compared to the 100- (120 total) by 53 1/3-yard fields of the NFL. Five players on offense face five players on defense, with no special teams periods. Teams can front two quarterbacks on a play if they wanted, though all quarterbacks must beware the unimpeded rush that flag rules allow. And versatility is key: The U.S. National Team has traveled with 12 players for international tournaments, requiring players to step in at other positions if one player goes down. Think receivers doubling as defensive backs, expected to run precise routes on one side of the field while backpedaling rapidly on the other. Think quarterbacks expected not only to throw deep but also to manipulate space as ball-carriers.