The NFL released May 15 a resolution that owners will vote on at next week’s league meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota and could be a step forward in the potential participation of NFL players at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California.
The resolution would require 24 of 32 votes to pass.
NFL players at the 2028 Olympics? Process just beginning
NFL executive vice president of communications, public affairs and policy Jeff Miller said Thursday in a conference call with reporters that the league has been continuing its lengthy dialogue with the NFLPA. The resolution’s goal is to give the all-clear to the management council to work on a deal of what participation would look like for the players.
‘That is exactly as it says,’ Miller said, ‘there’s more work to be done there.’
The resolution would permit the management council ‘an approach’ to the players participating. Per the resolution, those negotiations would be with national governing bodies and Olympic authorities (the IOC).
‘I would expect it to be a robust and engaging conversation on that topic,’ Miller said.
How many NFL players would be allowed to play at the Olympics?
Miller clarified teams can have multiple players participate, but only one per country. If a team has a designated International Pathway Program participant, he can play without counting toward the designation.
What needs to happen for players to be at the Olympics?
All parties are interested in making this happen, but it will be a deliberate march to the finish line.
Field conditions – ‘basic things,’ Miller said – are the types of conditions that have to be hammered out.
‘We want the best possible health and safety standards, just like we do in a game,’ Miller said.
Last February, NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell previewed what would need to occur for an agreement between the league and union to happen.
“There are details around, let’s say someone is hurt as they’re getting ready for the Olympics. Is it covered by (league) protection or not? So what allowances, given that football hasn’t been in the Olympics, that would accommodate that type of thing?” Howell said.
These are the types of issues the management council and the NFLPA could start discussing if the owners pass the resolution.
When are the 2028 Olympics? Training camp conflicts likely
The Olympics would end around the time training camps traditionally begin. The 2028 Summer Games are scheduled for July 14-30, 2028. Part of the resolution called for a ‘schedule for flag football games and related events in such a way that does not unreasonably conflict’ with NFL players’ schedules.
The Games could schedule the flag football competition early in the multi-week program to best accommodate the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said at the April owners’ meeting ‘timing, availability, conflicts, that type of thing,’ concerned him more than injury settlements being the hang-up in any potential negotiations, according to the Washington Post.
Among interested NFL players, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill told USA TODAY Sports in 2023 that he’d be interested in participating in flag football at the 2028 Olympics.
The NFL is heavily invested and interested in flag football
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked about the prospect of players participating in the LA28 Olympics at his annual news conference the week of the Super Bowl.
“I’ve heard directly from a lot of players who want to participate and represent their country, whether it’s the United States or the country that they came from, to have them participate in that,” Goodell said in New Orleans on Feb. 3. “And I think that’s something that we’ll continue the discussions with, not just the union, but also the clubs. I think both of those are things that we will probably resolve sometime in the next 60 days.”
United States Olympic and Paralympic CEO Sarah Hirshland said on April 17 it’ll be a multi-pronged discussion as that continues to move forward.
USA Football (which recently received USOPC recognition as the national governing body) CEO and executive director Scott Hallenbeck told The Athletic the league has been in ‘regular communication’ with the governing body.