The NFL’s move to include its players in the 2028 Olympic Flag Football team sparked fierce debate, and the internet is divided. The clash boils down to hard work versus fame—who truly deserves the Olympic spotlight? But not everyone’s cheering. While Olympic veterans have voiced their opinions against it, the league’s owners unanimously approved the move, aiming to merge the NFL’s speed and stardom with Olympic prestige in Los Angeles. Jason Kelce has come up with an innovative solution. “Let’s just have a flag football team of NFL players play these guys and see if they can win,” Kelce suggested. “May the best team win.” While many agree with the sentiments of Olympic veterans, the Chiefs’ tight end, Travis Kelce, has clapped back, saying, “This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time.” 

 A key voice in the debate is Darell Hush Doucette. The four-time global champ fired: “The flag guys deserve their opportunity. That’s all we want.” For years, Doucette and his peers fought hard to elevate the sport, only to feel sidelined when NFL stars entered the conversation. Hush also added, “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.” Travis Kelce fired back at Darell Doucette’s comments during the latest New Heights podcast with his brother Jason. “Is this guy afraid of competition?” Travis asked. “Have a tryout, and the best players make the team. He’s just boxing out other people from joining the sport because they haven’t played the specific style of football?” His words added fuel to the growing debate between NFL stars and flag football veterans. Kelce has made his stance clear: competition would not be affected by the long-standing fame of the NFL athletes.  

As the online drama unfolded, Doucette stayed silent on Travis’s remarks, but he shared his perspective on his Instagram story. While he doesn’t name Kelce, his message is pretty straightforward. “But on a different note, I just wanna say that I appreciate all my supporters out there. Hey, I couldn’t do what I do without y’all. Speaking up and having my back with everything that’s going on.” Doucette, with 21.5k loyal followers, added, “The support has been amazing.” Though he stands firm, he shows gratitude to his community, who have been following his journey for years.

Douceette closed his message with a powerful line: “At the end of the day, we are here and we continue to speak.” Having led the US national team to four global championships, he’s become a key voice in this clash. He had previously said, “I felt like I was the guy who could speak out for my peers, for my brothers that’s been working hard to get to this level, for us not to be forgotten.” With NFL stars like Tyreek Hill and Nico Collins eyeing Team USA, longtime flag football players feel their hard-earned spotlight is being overshadowed. The battle between legacy and fame is only intensifying.

While the controversy about the legitimacy of the NFL’s decision continues, one legendary name has backed out even before the competition has begun. 

Patrick Mahomes steps back for the “younger guys.”

Patrick Mahomes sounds like he’ll be watching from home when it comes to Olympic flag football in 2028. When asked about the topic on Thursday, the Chiefs quarterback didn’t seem too enthused about playing. “I’ll probably leave that to the younger guys. I’ll be a little older by the time that comes around,” Mahomes told reporters. “It’s awesome. Honestly, just to be able to showcase the NFL to the whole world through flag football.”

Mahomes added, “First, I’m going to be in my 30s at that point and then it’s a lot of scrambling at the QB position. It’s not just sitting there throwing. And then, I’m sure more of the athletic quarterbacks might get out there. I could be a coach. You get a gold medal for being a coach? Maybe I could be a consultant for the team.” His tone mixed humor with realism, showing he’s thinking ahead but staying involved in some way. Patrick is passing on the torch and making way for the future generation of athletes. 

Mahomes’ name has floated as a possible QB option for the U.S. team in 2028, when flag football hits the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He will be 32 then, just weeks shy of his 33rd birthday, making age a clear factor in his decision. His hesitation reveals the physical demands of the game and the competition from younger, more agile quarterbacks.