Calls Mount Against Darrell Doucette’s Olympics Demand After NFL Approved Players’ Flag Football Participation

7 seconds. That’s how much time the flag football QBs got to release the pigskin after the snap. It’s one of many rules that add to the continuous flow of the game. But if you didn’t know, the average release time of the NFL QBs lies somewhere in between 2.4s to 2.6s. Now, we are not implying that’s 1-0 to the NFL, but maybe there’s scope. However, flag football vet Darrell Doucette fails to believe that’s the case. Because, in his opinion, there’s more to the game than just release time. And he’s got a point there.

With flag football officially set to debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Darrell has become the vocal centerpiece of a growing debate: Should NFL stars be allowed to compete for Team USA roster spots? In his response, this is his game, so no. Ironically, earlier this month, NFL owners approved just that, allowing current pros to try out for the Olympic squad.

That decision, while inevitable given the NFL’s growing influence in Olympic promotion, didn’t sit well with Doucette. “This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys,” he told The Washington Post. “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country.”

To be clear, Doucette isn’t dodging competition. In fact, he welcomes it. Only with one condition: don’t push aside the veterans of the flag football scene. “The flag guys deserve their opportunity. That’s all we want,” he said. “We felt like we worked hard to get the sport to where it’s at, and then when the NFL guys spoke about it, it was like we were getting kicked to the side.” He is definitely a bit frustrated.

That frustration bubbled over into a now-viral quote. “I’m not hiding from the competition, none of my teammates nor anybody else in the flag football world are hiding from the competition,” Doucette said. “But at the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game.” Yeah, that’s straight out of his Aug. ’24 shade aimed at Patrick and the NFL loyalists.

While Doucette’s confidence resonates with longtime flag football loyalists, his comments haven’t landed as well within the broader football world. Many around the NFL believe Doucette is underestimating just how adaptable and poised today’s pros truly are. Especially when the Olympics are on the line.

The NFL loyalists put a target on Darrell Doucette’s back

Team USA quarterback Darrell Doucette threw a screen pass into a hornet’s nest. He called it “disrespectful” that NFL players believe they can just “automatically assume” they’re entitled to a spot on Team USA. But Fans weren’t feeling it. At all. One dropped a brutal line: “Bro throws like a 5-year-old learning to throw a football.” While that sounds like a cheap shot, critics have long pointed out Doucette’s throwing mechanics aren’t exactly elite. His motion lacks polish, and that tight window arm talent is not quite a match with the NFL-level tape.

And then came the bench jokes. “Get ready to learn the bench,” one fan cracked. Well, with names like Lamar, Kyler being floated for Team USA, Doucette’s spot is in jeopardy. Another fan nailed the broader truth: “There wouldn’t be a USA flag football team without the NFL.” That’s not fan fiction. Need proof? Just look at who’s putting in the work.

Russell Wilson runs his own flag league in Seattle. Tyreek Hill’s launching one in Florida. DeAndre Hopkins and Donald Driver have youth programs, too. Izell Reese, former NFL safety, now runs RCX Sports and helped get flag football on the Olympic radar. These guys didn’t just passively support the game—they grew it. That’s the irony Doucette seems to have missed.

And fans didn’t hesitate to point out the age curve. “Nobody wants to watch 40-year-old men running in quicksand play flag football.” Doucette’s 35 now. By 2028? He’ll be 38. Sure, flag’s not as punishing as tackle, but elite quickness and foot speed still matter. When you’re nearly 40 and trying to keep pace with 25-year-old pros in peak form, it’s less “next man up” and more “past due.”

Finally, fans circled back to fundamentals. “NFL guys grew up playing 7-on-7 in high school and college,” one wrote. “It might not have been flag, but they’ll be just fine.” They’ve lived in fast-paced, non-contact formats long before the Olympics called. So when Doucette question their readiness? Yeah, he might be forgetting the fact that Jayden Daniels played flag football at the age of 5 and by 7, he was already playing tackle football.