CHARLOTTE (CAROLINA SPORTS LIVE) — Though we still have plenty of time, the summer of 2028 can’t get here soon enough for Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson.
To win a gold medal? That would be crazy,” he said. “By that time, I would be 31.”
With flag football set to debut in the LA games, the timing could actually work out quite nicely. If by chance, Jackson is out of the NFL by then, he says he’d love to have the opportunity to compete. But if he’s still active in the league, well then, he and other players like him might have a problem.
“You’ll have to make a choice (on what you want to do),” he shrugged.
But USA Football officials hope the situation isn’t as cut and dry. They’re hoping to get active NFL players on international rosters, and based on the vote of confidence from league owners, they’re confident it will happen.
“We are still working through all those logistics with the NFL,” said Callie Brownson, a USA Football senior director. “That is an ongoing conversation that we are having on what 2028 looks like.”
There are pros and cons to both sides of the argument. Obviously, injuries are a big enough reason to keep players home. But on the flip side, international exposure could mean a lot more money for everyone.
“We went to Germany last year,” recalled Carolina long snapper J.J. Jansen. “I think it’s really valuable to the NFL that flag football is becoming this worldwide sport.”
And while it’s easy to start fantasizing about football dream teams (Jansen thinks Lamar Jackson and Jaycee Horn would be great picks for Team USA), it is worth noting, tackle football and flag football are very different.
“I think there’s really good athletes who couldn’t handle an NFL field but could handle a flag football field and they’d have the advantage of playing the sport year-round,” Jansen said.
There are still plenty of questions and not a lot of answers.
“I don’t know,” admits Jackson, who told us he could actually play for Germany since he was born there in 1997. “I feel like it’s something the league will probably come up with in 2027.”
Until then, there’s a lot to think about.
So with all due respect to Jackson, perhaps it’s for the best we still have a lot of time.
It’s a good thing 2028 is still a ways from now.
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