Former NFL player sounds alarm on Detroit Lions wanting in on flag football

Flag football is growing in popularity across the United States, with 2.4 million children under the age of 17 in the country participating in flag football according to the International Federation of American Football.

That popularity has led to flag football ending up a cornerstone of the Pro Bowl games for the NFL, and more importantly, an event featured in the Olympics starting in 2028. That'll be when the Summer games end up in Los Angeles, so it'll be a truly homegrown event for Team USA feature.

Since the NFL's owners voted to allow players to participate in flag football starting in 2028, there's been buzz about what stars will participate in the event - and if stars will even risk participating in the games at all. Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl wide receiver Justin Jefferson described the opportunity as "a dream," so we should expect higher profile players to participate in the games, with certainty.

However, as we mentioned, it's going to be a big injury risk for players and teams to consider. Former NFL wide receiver Braylon Edwards expressed concern over Detroit Lions players specifically participating in the games, knowing that there are quite a few on the roster that could thrive in the games if they chose to play.

Edwards says Lions players need to steer clear of flag football in 2028

Edwards expressed on his podcast, "Ermanni & Edwards," that he'd hate to see Lions players taking part in the games because it's such a big risk to their health and safety in between NFL seasons.

"Flag football isn't the same sport. If I'm Sheila Hamp...nope. You can't have Jahmyr Gibbs, you can't have Amon-Ra. We need these guys for Super Bowls!," said Edwards in the podcast episode.

Hamp is the Lions' principal owner, which is why Edwards name dropped her in this podcast. She should have final say in players' participation in the games if they're under contract with the team, since it's going to be such a liability for their 2028 season

However, we don't know what this team's makeup will be at that time. There's no way for Hamp to preemptively ban players because they might be good enough to win a championship at that point.

Flag football representation from the Lions would be a ton of fun, and Gibbs had a taste of it during the 2024 Pro Bowl. But, players are definitely going to take the risk of long term injury - and therefore risk of long term money loss - into consideration before considering a gold medal.