Patrick Mahomes interested in playing flag football at 2028 Olympics: 'I definitely want to'
Patrick Mahomes throwing passes to Tyreek Hill again in a meaningful football setting? Maybe we will see that in five years time as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback expressed interest in participating in flag football at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Chiefs' game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday during the NFL's International series in Frankfurt, Germany, Mahomes said that despite his age when the 2028 Games arrive, if he can still get around like he does now he would be down for representing the United States.
“I definitely want to. But I’ve seen some of those guys play the flag football. They’re a little faster than I am,” he said. “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.”
Mahomes will be 32 when the 2028 Games roll around, and he'll still be in the middle of his current 10-year, $450 million extension with the Chiefs signed in 2020.
“Just don’t tell coach [Andy] Reid or [Chiefs general manager Brett] Veach," Mahomes joked.
Flag football was one of five sports approved by the International Olympic Committee last month for inclusion at the 2028 Games and that has inspired many fantasy rosters of what the U.S. team might look like. One NFL player who has already spoken up about being included is Mahomes' former Chiefs teammate and current Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill said on his podcast last month that he was intrigued at the idea of building a flag football superteam of NFL players.
"Just being able to say, 'Hey, I was able to play on the Olympic level and compete for a medal for the U.S.' That would be special," he said. "Who wouldn't want to do that? Travel to L.A. and compete in a flag championship. I think it would be so dope if other NFL players buy into that.
"If they're serious about bringing flag football, sign me up. Sign the Cheetah up."
Flag football will be a 5-on-5 event played on a 70x30-yard field with no offensive or defensive linemen.
The U.S. men's team won gold at the 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, while the women's team won silver.
