“Let’s bring one home.” That’s what Miami Dolphins’ wide receiver Tyreek Hill said after NFL owners voted in May 2025 to allow players to participate in Olympic flag football for the first time in the Olympic Games. And he wasn’t alone in his excitement: Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Micah Parsons, and a handful of other NFL stars were dreaming big about the 2028 Olympics. But here’s the reality: no NFL star gets a free pass.

Even the league’s brightest names have to go through the same qualification process as everyone else. So, what does that process look like?

NFL players who want to compete must undergo the standard tryouts and qualifications that any Olympic hopeful faces under national governing bodies. USA Football, the organization in charge of team selection, will run the trials and training camps. Everyone, NFL star or not, must earn their spot on the roster, which leads to the 2026 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championship.

From there, USA Football will select two 12-person rosters – one for the men’s team and one for the women’s to compete in Germany next August. The stakes are high: the top three teams automatically qualify for the 2028 Olympics. And let’s be real, the U.S. men’s and women’s flag football teams are global juggernauts. The men have won five consecutive world championships, and the women have taken home the last three.

“You got to have the best of the best regardless,” says Clark-Robinson,  head coach of the women’s flag team. “I might not even be there… Gold is the goal, and if you don’t fit that mold, no hard feelings… Sometimes it’s just not your time… You have to respect the process.”

And that’s what makes this so exciting. It’s not just NFL stars chasing yet another trophy. It’s about showing off your skills in a brand new game, what it takes to play on the Olympic stage. But the question on everyone’s mind is: what exactly is this sport, and why is it getting so much attention?

How Flag Football differs from the NFL

Flag football is a five-on-five game that is non-contact and played on a field that is half the size of a football field used in tackle football. This makes it a faster game, crisper, and executed more with technique than with strength. What’s the difference between that and regular football?

Firstly, there are no special formations, only offense and defense. Quarterbacks are not able to run unless it involves a handoff, but they may receive a pass; that is, there may be several quarterbacks on a single play. There is also an assigned blitzer, who has a clear way to the quarterback; lateral passes can be passed, but not blocking or screening. The result is game that is quick, tactical, and entertaining to view.

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Back in 2023, Patrick Mahomes said, “I definitely want to,” but he admitted the game is different: “I’ve seen some of those guys play … they’re a little faster than I am,” and he pointed out, “there are not like linemen blocking for you.”

Nevertheless, he’s all in on flag football making its Olympic debut, believing it is a tremendous opportunity for the sport to be seen all over the world.