The NFL’s investment in flag football could take the next step soon with the launch of professional leagues, commissioner Roger Goodell said this week.
“We’re committed to creating women’s and men’s professional flag football leagues,” Goodell said at the Leaders in Sport conference in London. “We’ve had a great deal of interest in that, and I’m sure we’ll be able to launch that in the next couple of years.”
Goodell said 20 million kids are playing flag football globally, “and that’s growing quickly.” He said women’s flag football is the most significant part of that growth trend.
“We’re seeing colleges in the United States and internationally that want to make (flag football) part of their program,” Goodell said. “If you set that structure up where there’s youth leagues, going into high school, then college, you can develop a system of scale, and it’s an infrastructure we need to create.”
The NFL has been investing in flag football as a way to expand the game for years. The league traded a tackle football game at the Pro Bowl for a flag football contest in 2023. Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, and, in May, NFL owners approved a resolution allowing active players to try out for teams. Goodell said a significant number of NFL players have shown interest, though members of the pre-existing U.S. national flag football team could also be roster contenders.
“You’ll be surprised at the number of players who have reached out and said they want to play for Olympic gold, including players who will play for other countries besides the United States,” Goodell said. “I think that will happen in significant numbers. But it’s a different game — it’s fast. It will be interesting to see how it goes.”
Players such as Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson have been active in helping the NFL expand its reach through flag football. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was featured in a promotion for flag football’s Olympic debut. Last month, Las Vegas Raiders minority owner and former seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady announced he will participate in a global flag football event on March 21, 2026, called “The Fanatics Flag Football Classic.” He will play alongside his former teammate Rob Gronkowski and current players, including receiver CeeDee Lamb, running backs Saquon Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, defensive linemen Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby, and others.
(Photo: Gary McCullough / Associated Press)
