For over 3,000 years the world’s best athletes have competed on the biggest scale in the world, the Olympics. Events have been removed and added over the years and even American football has been played in the games but it only happened once at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. However, as fate would have it 96 years later in Los Angeles football is returning to the Olympics but in a different form, flag football.
The sport you played when you were 7-9 years old is evolving to the point where the National Football League has changed the format of its all-star game the “Pro Bowl” to a flag football affair coached by Peyton and Eli Manning.
Flag football found its way to the Olympics because of two entities, the National Football League and the International Federation of American Football. The goal of this joint venture was to continue to grow the game globally. Now that the NFL has achieved its goal they now want to bring home the gold for the USA by bringing in a “Dream Team” of talent that would make any NFL general manager blush.
The NFL is encouraging players to participate in the games to grow the game of football but also give fans reasons to cheer on their country and their favorite players.
According to Olympics.com, each team has 12 players but the game itself is 5 on 5. Players can specialize on offense or defense and players can substitute at any time.
Here are the 12 players I would like to see represent the United States of America in flag football at the Olympic games in L.A.:
Quarterbacks:
According to the rules of flag football, all passes must be thrown behind the line of scrimmage and has seven seconds to throw the ball before they can be rushed and can’t run unless the ball is handed off first. So, who should be the QB’s?
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes is the best thrower of football in the world and his ability to manipulate defenses with his arm angles and the way he can guide a team down the field is the reason why he is the hands-down number one pick if I go to decide who is on this team.
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson’s ability to throw and run makes him an obvious candidate for a team like this he is the ultimate weapon when it comes to this because he can throw but also make people miss with his feet and not get touched.
Offensive skill players:
Offensive players can specialize or play both ways, for the sake of this exercise let’s assume they only play offense.
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
Flag football is pure speed and there is no other team to look for speed than the Miami Dolphins. The fastest wide receiver in the NFL is the obvious choice, Tyreek Hill. Hill is perfect for this team due to his speed and his ability to get open against any NFL defense.
Devon Achane, Miami Dolphins
The other half of the speed duo in Miami is Devon Achane, the rookie from Texas A&M is another one of the fastest NFL players in the league as he runs as fast as 24.42 miles per hour. His 4.3 speed makes him a prime candidate to be our running back.
Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
This team wouldn’t be close to complete without the NFL’s best receiver, Justin Jefferson. JJettas holds the NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie with 1,400 yards and this past season he led the league in receiving yards with 1,809. Jefferson can also get open on any defense and is one of the best open-field runners in the league.
Deebo Samuel, San Francisco 49ers
Deebo Samuel is one of the most dynamic players in the NFL due to his ability to play both wide receiver and running back. His physicality allows him to be difficult to hard to touch let alone tackle. His versatility gives this team different options and can line him up everywhere.
A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
Sometimes in football, you need a guy to just throw the ball high and long and hope he comes down with the ball and A.J. Brown is one of the best jump ball receivers in the NFL. His freakish frame allows him to get open deep downfield and win the one-on-one jump ball battles.
Defensive skill players:
On defense, you can rush the quarterback after seven seconds, interceptions can be returned no matter if it’s on a regular down or point after touchdown. They must be aware though that any defensive penalty is an automatic first down so they must be careful in pass coverage.
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
There is no better rusher in the NFL than the player that is the closest to the second coming of Lawrence Taylor or Reggie White, Micah Parsons. Parsons is among the NFL’s best pass rushers and creates fear in opposing offenses. He also has registered 31.5 sacks in only 2.5 seasons.
Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens
The other pass rusher on this squad is another blitzing linebacker who puts fear into the hearts of the opposition. His speed, size, and the ability to tackle opposing ball carriers. Smith has recorded 487 tackles and 20 sacks in his career, I don’t think stripping a ball carrier of a flag will be a problem for someone who makes defensive stops as well as plays pass coverage really well.
Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner truly does make his opposing wide receivers lost in the sauce as he has quickly become one of the best young corners in the NFL. Gardner is hardly thrown at and when he is the pass is usually intercepted or broken up as he has picked off two passes and broken up 23 passes.
Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys
Trevon Diggs didn’t have the greatest start to his career as he took a lot of chances and he usually got burned as he allowed over 1,000 yards in coverage his rookie season. He has quickly evolved into a shutdown corner and is someone you don’t throw at because if you do he is going to intercept it as he has intercepted 18 passes in just four seasons.
Antoine Winfield Jr.
To round out our team you need a ball-hawking, physical safety who is always lurking around the ball. Winfield can cover really well for a safety as he has recorded four interceptions as well as covered one of the fastest receivers in the game, Tyreek Hill in the Super Bowl. He can also tackle really well, he is the ultimate safety for flag football, he can cover, grab flags, and take passes back to the house.