Denver Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year. But even he had to express his excitement about the possibility of playing flag football in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
NFL owners voted unanimously to allow players to participate.
There are some details to be ironed out. Still, players like Surtain could soon have their opportunity to be true World Champions.
“It’s definitely a high interest, because Olympics is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Surtain told reporters on June 2 about the prospects of suiting up. “So, I don’t know. We’ll see how my body feels at 28.”
Surtain, 25, won DPOY in 2024 despite teams working to avoid him in coverage.
“His opportunities to make plays this past season were as limited as anyone at his position. According to Next Gen Stats, Surtain was targeted on only 10.9% of his coverage snaps this season — the lowest rate among 83 cornerbacks with 300 or more coverage snaps,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote in February.
“He gave up only 306 receiving yards as the nearest defender across 516 coverage snaps, translating to 0.6 yards per coverage snap, which was the second-fewest among the same group of cornerbacks.”
Getting the kind of coverage ability the Broncos star, Surtain, brings could be a big boost to Team USA.
NFL Players in Flag Football a Polarizing Topic
In addition to the scheduling and health hurdles NFL player participation would present for coaches like Sean Payton, current flag footballers are not too keen on the idea of their sport being infiltrated by Surtain and his peers either.
USA QB Darrell “Housh” Doucette has been especially outspoken about the idea.
“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,” Doucette said, per the Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore in May.
“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.”
However, Doucette acknowledged that the goal is the same for everyone: to win gold for the United States.
He just wants current flag football players to receive a fair opportunity to make the team. He will get his wish. If Surtain, any of his Broncos teammates, or any of their NFL brethren wish to play for Team USA, they must try out.
If Surtain plays, he could catch passes from Doucette, saying he would “only play offense.”
“I prefer wide receiver, though. I’d like to run some pretty good routes and get open,” Surtain told reporters in October 2023. “I’ve had some reps in years past at receiver. So, I could do it.”
Broncos CB Pat Surtain II Snubbed in Preseason Ranking
Surtain’s award-winning campaign was not enough to earn him the top spot on Pro Football Focus’ preseason cornerback rankings. That went to New York Jets star Sauce Gardner, with Surtain checking in at No. 2.
“Gardner’s 91.9 PFF coverage grade since 2022 leads the league. He has forced a league-high 46 incompletions and allowed a league-low 0.60 yards per cover snap and 21.4% first-down-plus-touchdown rate over that span,” PFF’s John Kosko wrote on June 3. “Gardner’s PFF advanced coverage grade ranks first, as well. While he might not shadow opposing wide receivers at a high rate, he has excelled when asked to do so.”
Notably, Surtain recorded an 89.5 coverage grade from 2022 through 2024. That ranks second and is third in “advanced coverage” in that same window.
PFF also commended him for taking on the toughest matchups, yet he still finished second.
