From Pro Bowl Games to the Olympics, flag football enticing NFL players - ESPN

(This article was originally published Feb. 3, 2024. The NFL FLAG Championships will take place Friday through Sunday at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, with all games shown on ESPN and NFL platforms. Click here for a complete schedule.)

ORLANDO, Fla. — As the world's greatest collection of tackle football players gathered in the Florida sunshine, you might expect their pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy to be top of mind.

But with flag football now featured in the Pro Bowl Games, and with the much-anticipated inclusion of men's and women's flag football in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, how about a gold medal?

«I'd rather have the Lombardi, but I'm OK with the gold medal,» Dallas Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb said.

Flag football games on Sunday could decide the winner of the Pro Bowl Games (3-6 p.m. ET, live on ESPN, ABC, ESPN+).

The idea of NFL players participating on a flag football Olympic team was well received among Pro Bowlers this week, similar to the reaction of NBA players when Olympic participation was opened to American professional basketball players in 1992.

«That's a big deal,» said Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III, who had a career-high six interceptions in 2023. «The sport of football has changed my life and a lot of other guys'. I would definitely [like to play], if I learn how to pull a flag.»

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Buffalo Bills receiver Stefon Diggs said he would «a hundred percent» be in favor of playing: «Flag football should be appreciated,» he said. «Not even just men, but we can involve the women, too. They've been