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The road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics just hit a massive speed bump for the NFL's biggest icons. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic proved that being a Super Bowl champion does not necessarily translate to flag football dominance.
While the current U.S. National Team dominated and embarrassed squads featuring Tom Brady and Joe Burrow, the event served as a reality check for most fans.
The chosen ones to represent the country
If the NFL is to be represented in the inaugural Olympic tournament, it will not be by the expected faces, it will be by the "Swiss Army Knives" of the league. Here are the 12 players chosen by USA Today who actually possess the specific traits to help Team USA secure gold.
- Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
- Kyler Murray (Minnesota Vikings)
- De'Von Achane (Miami Dolphins)
- Saquon Barkley (Philadelphia Eagles)
- Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons)
- Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings)
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks)
- Tyler Warren (Indianapolis Colts)
- Micah Parsons (Green Bay Packers)
- Sonny Styles (Ohio State)
Why Brady is left out of the squad
The weekend in L.A. proved something painful. Tom Brady's dream of Olympic gold is likely just that, a simple dream. While the U.S. could bring back the 48-year-old GOAT on the roster for PR purposes, he would effectively be the Christian Laettner of the squad.
"They're just confusing us," Brady admitted after his Founders FFC squad was dismantled. In flag, the NFL concepts are not enough, you have to be able to outrun the chaos.
With each of the 32 NFL clubs reportedly allowed only one player for Olympic consideration, GMs will be worried about the injuries occurring outside the league. Furthermore, the NFL season's six-month schedule leaves little time for players to master the things that the current Team USA vets have spent years perfecting.
The chemistry of the current U.S. Team is their greatest weapon. Adding NFL stars might provide a public relations bump, but as Saturday proved, it takes more than a famous jersey to win at the Olympic level.