What will the Team USA flag football roster look like at the 2028 Olympics?

The NFL's major push to grow the sport of football internationally will take a big step three summers from now in Los Angeles. Flag football will be a part of the 2028 Olympic Games, marking the sport's first and only appearance in the Olympics since a single demonstration game was played in 1932. Taking advantage of that, NFL owners voted last week to allow NFL players to compete in the games.

Now the question is, which NFL players will get the call? It's important to keep in mind that contact football skills don't 100% translate, so it's just just the best NFL player but the NFL players that best fit the flag game. That means an emphasis on speed and agility, while size, strength, and power won't be as helpful.

There are different formats of flag football but for the 2028 Games it will be five-on-five, with rosters made up of 10 players total according to the Olympics website. That will also put a premium on versatility.

What might that roster look like for Team USA Flag Football? Here's one guess, factoring in the ideas mentioned above as well as the fact that this team won't be put together for another three years.

QB: Lamar Jackson
C/TE: Brock Bowers
WR: Justin Jefferson
WR: Travis Hunter
RB: Jahmyr Gibbs

Let's start, as always, with the quarterback. In flag football the quarterback can't immediately take off but is allowed to run if rushed. With Jackson running the offense, any team that decides to rush him would do so with significant risk. On the rare occasions they do, no quarterback on the planet is better at taking off with a defender in pursuit. Jalen Hurts is another player to watch as an official ambassador for the games.

There is no blocking in flag football, and in five-on-five the initial role of the center is more ceremonious than anything and that player becomes an eligible receiver once the ball is snapped. It could be another wide receiver but for the sake of changing things up we'll add a tight end who is more experience running routes from the middle of the field. With the Kelce/Kittle generation of tight ends starting to age out Bowers seems ready to take the torch.

At wide receiver, Jefferson gets the nod simply by being the best. There's probably the most carryover between contact and flag at that position, so why go against the biggest known commodity in the sport. Plus age isn't even much of a concern, as Jefferson will have turned 29 a month before the 2028 Games.

Opposite Jefferson we have Hunter. He's hardly as much of a proven commodity as Jefferson, and hasn't even played the wide receiver position full-time yet. But with limited roster size, his two-way ability is too valuable to pass up. Not only does he offer an extra wide receiver on offense, but can be the third cornerback when needed on defense.

Finally Gibbs gets the running back spot. This is another pick where we're adapting to the flag game. Gibbs' receiving abilities get him on the team. While there can be traditional handoffs, but the rules facilitate more passing.

LB: Fred Warner
CB: Christian Gonzalez
CB: Patrick Surtain II
DB: Brian Branch
S: Kyle Hamilton

Linebacker was a tough choice, but Warner gets the nod over some other more traditional pass rushers because of his ability to cover. In flag football any players rushing the quarterback have to identify themselves before the snap. They have to rush immediately (no delays, but they can outright bluff and not rush at all) but the pursuit skills still hold up. Up to two players can rush per play, but Warner is the only player were slotting into the lineup who is a primary rusher.

In the secondary we're prioritizing man coverage. It's a close competition at cornerback but Gonzalez and Surtain are on the roster. Part of the reason Gonzalez is picked is he played receiver more recently than most top NFL cornerbacks (he was a full-time two-way player throughout his high school career) and can offer depth for a three-receiver set.

Branch is another versatility pick with his ability to cover running backs, tight ends, and wide receivers. He'd be a matchup piece and could also see some use as the second blitzer when needed.

As the true safety we have Hamilton, who is arguably the best safety in all of football right now. He'll hold things down on the back end.

On defense, it's worth noting that Warner (Mexico), Gonzalez (Colombia), and Hamilton (Greece, South Korea) all have family ties that could allow them to play for other countries if they so choose. If they do the US would need to find replacement.

Roquan Smith would make the most sense at linebacker, Derek Stingley Jr. would be next up at cornerback, and by the time 2028 rolls around Ohio State safety Caleb Downs will be in the NFL. Downs projects to be the kind of player that fits in with this group and was one of the few current college players that got consideration, along with his Ohio State teammate, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Offense: Steve Sarkisian
Defense: Brian Flores

The IOC's announcement about flag football included info on the roster, but not what the coaching staff would look like. In past international tournament USA Flag has used a two-man coaching staff, so we'll do that here with an offensive and defensive coach.

In the spirit of Coach K coaching the Dream Team, and more relevantly the college game being more wide open than the NFL game, we're going to the college ranks for our offensive play-caller. There are a few candidates here such as Lane Kiffin and Lincoln Riley, but given Texas' recent success (and both of those coaches' history in LA) Sark is going to be the one designing and calling the offense.

Without a front to worry about and only four-or-five-man coverage combinations, the most strategic element on the defensive side may be the strategic use of rushers. Few active defensive coaches if any have their finger more on the pulse of the timing of the blitz than Flores.

This is just one version of what the team could look like, but there will probably be plenty of changes between now and 2028. Plus, Olympic roster controversies are nothing new. Think this is way off base? Share your roster with me on social at @RealAlexBarth.