On Thursday, the USA Flag Football team added its first former NFL star, and his resume includes Pro Bowl and Rookie of the Year honors.
For the first time, American football will be played in the Summer Olympics. However, in 2028, football fans in the NFL and college ranks won't be used to it. No, the version featured in the Olympics will be flag football.
Since it was made official, there has been increasing debate over whether a USA flag football team should be composed of current and former NFL stars, or actual flag football veterans who helped develop the sport. Last week, fans found out that the two sports are actually quite different, when the current USA national team crushed three different teams made up of current and former NFL players.
However, that won't stop NFL vets from trying to build a team, and one of them took another big step closer to the 2028 games this week.
One-time Washington Redskins (now Commanders) star Robert Griffin III revealed in a social media post that he has officially started training with the USA Flag Football team.
"God's plan 🙏🏾. The work is just beginning," he wrote in the caption of an image post displaying the roster for Team USA. "Excited to be working with my new teammates 🫡 USA! USA! USA!”
After being the second overall selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, he immediately became a star in the league by winning NFC offense ROTY honors and going to the Pro Bowl. However, he withdrew in his second season after battling injuries. His problems staying healthy continued, and after playing with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, he retired from the league in 2020.
Griffin III has pursued a career in sports media and has worked for Netflix and ESPN in the past, but the 36-year-old is currently employed as an analyst for Fox Sports.
