Roger Goodell wants the NFL to shine even brighter. Now, the Commissioner has revealed how he intends to respond to Tom Brady’s potential competitor.
A few days ago, it was announced that Tom Brady, along with several other NFL stars, will participate in a flag football event in Saudi Arabia in 2026. Naturally, this raised concerns within the league.
Rumors suggest that Saudi Arabia could be preparing to establish a professional flag football league featuring retired stars. In response, Commissioner Roger Goodell has taken steps to ensure the NFL does not fall behind amid these developments.
Roger Goodell unveils plan to expand flag football with NFL support
The NFL has made efforts to promote flag football in recent years. However, the latest news from Saudi Arabia prompted the league to intensify its commitment to developing the sport.
It was recently revealed that Tom Brady, Saquon Barkley, Sean Payton, and several other football stars will participate in a flag football game in Saudi Arabia next year. This move hinted at the country’s potential plans to create a league featuring retired stars in the near future.
In response to these rumors, Roger Goodell acted decisively. The Commissioner announced that, ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the NFL will launch a professional flag football league.
“We’re committed to creating a women’s professional league, and a men’s professional flag league,” Goodell said, via the Associated Press. “We’ve had a great deal of interest in that and I expect that we’ll be able to do that, launch that, in the next couple of years.
“The demand is there. We’re seeing colleges in the states and universities internationally also that want to make it a part of their program. “If you set that structure up where there’s youth leagues, going into high school, into college and then professional, I think you can develop a system of scale. That’s an important infrastructure that we need to create.”
Will NFL stars play in the flag football league?
Many NFL players have expressed interest in participating in flag football at the upcoming Summer Olympics. With the creation of a professional league, the chances of seeing them compete in this discipline appear even greater.
If the NFL’s professional flag football league overlaps with the Olympics, it will likely be impossible for active players to participate in both. However, if the schedules do not conflict, it could provide an opportunity for current or former NFL players to take the field and stay in rhythm while promoting the sport.