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Jalen Hurts named Flag Football ambassador for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

IMG_6598by: Nick Kosko08/06/24nickkosko59
USATSI_23887695 (1)
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lit the Olympic Flame for the 2028 Games in Los Angeles in a video for the NFL, announcing flag football.

The sport is set to make its debut on the men’s and women’s side four years from now. How fitting that the first time it’ll be an Olympic sport, it’ll be on American soil?

The video of Hurts throwing a flaming football to light up the torch can be seen below. He was named the ambassador for the sport.

“It’s our turn,” Hurts said to the camera.

Now, could Hurts and other NFL stars make their Olympic debuts in four years? It’s to-be-determined as of now, as well as who would make up the women’s rosters.

Going back to last October, the NFL reportedly will encourage current players to play flag football. 

NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said player interest in playing flag football in the Olympics is high. He provided a comment to Front Office Sports on the matter.

“We understand the desire,” O’Reilly said last Fall. “We think it’s a great opportunity, because the player interest is real and palpable. There’s a desire to work through with these stakeholders and get to that outcome for July [2028].”

Hurts and other Pro Bowlers played flag football during the Pro Bowl Games, a massive change from the traditional full-padded game.

Ahead of training camp, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow expressed interest in playing for the United States in flag football.

“I really want to play for the Olympic flag football team,” Burrow said during an interview on Pardon My Take. “Like Me, Ja’marr (Chase), Justin (Jefferson). Me and my friends out there playing football. … I think it’d be really cool.”

And, he’s not the only star quarterback who’d like to represent his country on home soil. Patrick Mahomes would love to be on a team.

“I definitely want to, but I’ve seen some of those guys play the flag football and they’re a little faster than I am,” Mahomes said at a press conference in Germany last football season. “I know there’s not, like, linemen blocking for you. I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I can still move around then, I’m going to try to get out there and throw the football around maybe in LA. Just don’t tell Coach Reid or Veach or anybody.”

Could Hurts be the quarterback when it’s all said and done? Mahomes? Burrow? Someone else? There are so many questions as to how it’ll be decided.

Of course, flag football will showcase the sport on the Olympic stage during training camp, so the decisions will be even more fascinating in 2028.