The NFL will vote on allowing players to participate in flag football during the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and that is good news for Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones.
The idea remains in the “resolution” stage, but will come up for a vote soon, well ahead of teams being put together.
Jones said he is all for the idea.
“NFL owners will vote next week on a resolution that would allow players to participate in flag football during the 2028 Olympics, according to a memo the league sent to teams this week and released publicly Thursday,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote on May 15.
“The resolution establishes rules and a basic structure for how the NFL hopes to see the process work.”
The deal is subject to negotiations between the “NFLPA and Olympic-related entities,” Seifert wrote.
“Flag football players may be upset at me for this. But, yes, I would absolutely love it [if NFL players could participate]. Every other sport gets an opportunity to win a gold medal,” Jones told reporters in April. “If you’re not serving your country in the military, I feel like that’s the other highest honor that you can represent your country in. I used to say when I’m done playing a long time from now, I’m going to go play rugby because that was similar to football. I just have to learn the game. But now we have flag football so, hopefully, I don’t have to worry about that.
“I would definitely be interested in it.”
Jones credited a trip with Vikings teammate Brian Asamoah to Ghana, noting the latter introduced the sport to the area and was running point for the Olympic outreach. Now, Jones could represent the Vikings in the Olympics in 2028.
NFL Players in Flag Football a Controversial Topic
Jones’ disclaimer is warranted in light of Team USA flag football quarterback Darrell “Dash” Doucette’s claims he was “better” than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes in his version of the game.
“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,” Doucette told TMZ on August 21. “I know he’s right now the best in the league, I know he’s more accurate, I know he has all these intangibles. But when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.”
“I love the fact that they want to play and that they want to come out and compete,” Doucette said. “But at the end of the day, we want the same process that we’ve been having to play. We have to try out, and so do they. I don’t want it to be like they’re entitled because of their names to be able to just automatically be on the team. And that’s what it sounds like from the flag football world.
“We don’t want to be forgotten about. Because we are the ones that help this game get to where it’s at.”
Jones is coming off a career-high 255-carry season, tallying 1,138 yards, which were also a career high. However, he would be 33 years old and has a history of injuries. It is unclear if he would even be the Vikings’ representative despite his eagerness.
Vikings RB Aaron Jones’ History of Honoring the Military
Jones likening winning a medal in the Olympics is consistent with the Vikings’ star’s history of honoring the military. A “military brat” himself, Jones has done many events and other charitable acts to honor US troops.
He visited Kuwait with Arizona Cardinals tight end Elijah Higgins as part of the NFL’s USO Tour in April.
Jones returned to the Vikings on a two-year, $20 million contract in free agency this offseason.
Vikings RB Aaron Jones Gets Good News After Historic Decision
