In case you missed it, Team USA flag football quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette claimed that he’s “better” than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II at his version of the sport during an August 21 interview with TMZ Sports.
“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,” Doucette said. “I know he’s — right now — the best in the league, I know he’s more accurate [and] I know he has all these intangibles. But when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.”
Before long, Mahomes did catch wind of these comments on social media. The two-time NFL MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion even offered a hilarious response in the form of a popular GIF.
Mahomes’ version of the GIF was muted, but the unmuted translation features rapper 50 Cent voicing: “I’m like what’d he say [expletive] me for?”
Clearly, Mahomes does not agree that his flag football IQ would be lacking if he was allowed to try out for the 2028 Olympic team.
Team USA Flag Football QB Darrell Doucette Calls out NFL Athletes for Being ‘Disrespectful’
In the original story involving Doucette — published by The Athletic’s Hunter Patterson on August 18 — the flag football star expressed that it’s “disrespectful that [NFL athletes] just automatically assume that they’re able to just join the Olympic team because of the person that they are.”
“They didn’t help grow this game to get to the Olympics,” he explained. “Give the guys who helped this game get to where it’s at their respect.”
While Doucette’s overall point is fair — the flag football athletes that grew this game deserve their moment in the sun — he took it too far when he said he’s better than one of the best athletes of all-time. At a non-contact version of the same sport.
Per Patterson, “Doucette, 35, led the flag football national team to a gold medal at the 2022 World Games and was named the MVP when Team USA went 7-0 to win the Americas Continental championship in 2023.”
He hopes to compete for the role of Team USA quarterback at the Olympics in 2028.
“We just don’t think they’re going to be able to walk on the field and make the Olympic team because of the name, right?” Doucette told The Athletic. “They still have to go out there and compete.”
With TMZ Sports, he also acknowledged that he’s not saying he’s a “better [football] player overall” than Mahomes, but he does seem to think he’d beat the Chiefs superstar in flag football. “Until he steps on a 5v5 flag field, I’m going to feel that way until it’s proven otherwise!” He stated boldly. “I’m a competitor and need to be proven wrong.”
Doucette has highlights of his flag football journey posted on Instagram.
Will NFL Players Like Patrick Mahomes Try out for the 2028 Olympics?
Mahomes was very invested in the Olympics this summer, following along with many of the Paris events on social media. The most similar crossover this year was Olympic Men’s Basketball, being that so many of the NBA’s superstars appeared in the tournament.
Team USA did eventually take home the gold medal for Men’s Basketball over France in the final, and it certainly caught the attention of Mahomes and many other NFL athletes.
With flag football officially joining the summer games in four years, it’ll be interesting to see how many NFL players give it a go — and if those under contract will be allowed to participate.
Will there be tryouts, as Doucette alluded? And how many flag football stars would remain if NFL athletes were allowed to state their case?
Of course, we might also see a few ex-NFL athletes that better fit the less physical version of the sport attempt a comeback in flag. Either way, Doucette brings up a fascinating debate on the cusp of football’s Olympic arrival.
