Team USA flag football star voices firm message to NFL players who want to play in LA 2028 Olympics

One of the highlights of the upcoming Olympic Games, set to take place in Los Angeles in 2028, will be the inclusion of flag football in the official program. Housh Doucette, one of Team USA’s standout players in the sport, shared his thoughts on the possibility of some NFL players representing the country in this major event.

The steady rise of this discipline in recent years is no coincidence, and it’s partly due to the outstanding work of some of its top figures—among them, Darrell Doucette III. However, in recent days, a debate has emerged over who should represent the country in the next Olympics.

In recent statements to the press, the talented quarterback stood firm on his stance to give priority to those who helped elevate the sport to where it is today—effectively dismissing the idea of NFL players joining in the near future.

“The flag guys deserve their opportunity,” Doucette told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. “That’s all we want. 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. 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.”

Housh Doucette visits SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIX on February 05, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

“This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys,” he also added. “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country.”

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Is Flag Football similar to Tackle Football?

The controversy surrounding who should represent Team USA in flag football at the LA 2028 Olympics has escalated, prompting one of the sport’s key figures to speak out. One of his main arguments against NFL involvement is precisely that—flag football and tackle football aren’t as similar as many people believe.

“It’s entirely two different games,” Doucette stated to the press. “You can’t really compare flag football and tackle football.”

Additionally, the quarterback made it clear that both he and his teammates have been preparing for this moment: “These are things that we practice and we work on to become great. Those guys, they don’t understand it yet.”

Team USA’s rivals voice their opinions on the debate

Canada’s flag football team is one of Team USA’s biggest rivals in the Olympics, and it was their own coach, Chad Palmer, who shared his perspective on the situation.

“We have a better chance of beating the flag players than the NFLers,” the head coach told Kilgore. “I say that with a fair bit of confidence.”

“The transferables are all over the place,” Palmer also added. “If you take a Ja’Marr Chase — he’s spent his entire life route-running and finding leverage in coverage and understanding football and getting paid a lot of money to do it. How can a player that’s playing a rec sport in the past be even in the same stratosphere? No chance.”