Now that NFL league executives and owners have voted to allow players to compete in flag football at the upcoming 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the conversation turns to who could potentially fill out the Team USA roster.
With a 12-player roster and 5-on-5 format, a dynamic quarterback who can make every throw and scamper out of the pocket would be the most ideal fit.
Without a doubt, Kansas City Chiefs superstar QB Patrick Mahomes will be in the running for this spot. That is, if he wants to compete.
According to NFL insider Jeff Darlington, there is a good chance he does.
"Talking to Patrick Mahomes about it, for instance, I think there will be players that want the gold medal. It adds something to a resume," Darlington said on the This Is Football podcast with Kevin Clark.
"Mahomes, I think, wants to do it."
As the face of the NFL for nearly a decade, Patrick Mahomes would be the perfect representation of American football on the world stage. His exciting play style and celebrity notoriety will grow the sport's popularity internationally while his skillset gives the United States as great a chance to win gold as anybody.
Granted, victory shouldn't be a challenge, regardless of who is wearing the stars and stripes.
But in speaking about a resume, Mahomes' ranks second to none among active NFL players ... and he's already getting mentioned in "all-time great" quarterback conversations with Joe Montana and Tom Brady.
One thing those latter two don't have? An Olympic gold medal.
A gold medal might be the most significant individual trophy in all of sports. It transcends competition unlike anything any NFL players - and hardly any humans - have ever experienced.
This opportunity, especially for accomplished players like Mahomes, would add unmatched glory to their legacy.
He has already flirted with the possibility of competing back in 2023 when the International Olympic Committee confirmed the adoption of flag football for 2028 Los Angeles Games.
"I think it’s really cool because football is a great game that has given me so much and I want to make sure everyone gets the same experience that I got growing up," Mahomes said to Olympics.com.
The NFL will enter this Olympics in the same scenario the NBA did in 1992 when stars Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson introduced the world to professional basketball in America, forever immortalizing the "Dream Team" into sports history and changing the sport of basketball forever.
Mahomes has all the star power to do the same for the NFL and football.
"I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I can still move around then, I’m going to try to get out there and throw the football around maybe in LA," Mahomes added. "Just don’t tell Coach [Andy] Reid or [Brett] Veach or anybody."
