It's becoming increasingly likely that the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles will have an American flavor, as flag football, lacrosse, baseball and softball, cricket and squash are all moving closer to joining the program.
Never before has American football been included in the Olympics, although it was demonstrated at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles. Rumblings of the sport's imminent inclusion have generated excitement this week at all levels of the game.
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews was asked Friday what flag football’s presence in the Games would mean, and he replied by naming his preferred candidate to represent the United States.
“I think you could put [Dolphins wide receiver] Tyreek [Hill] out there, and he would probably just do the job himself,” Andrews said.
#Ravens TE Mark Andrews on what it will mean to American football now that Flag Football will be an Olympic sport in 2028: “I think you could put Tyreek [Hill] out there, and he would probably just do the job himself.”
— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) October 13, 2023
In addition to his football bonafides, Hill was once a world-class sprinter; he won a 200-meter bronze medal at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Barcelona.
Andrews’s comments also hinted at the competitive imbalance American football at the Olympics could present; the United States has won every IFAF (International Federation of American Football) World Championship it has entered.