When the Los Angeles Chargers\u2019 star safety Derwin James Jr. stepped onto the tarmac at LAX, he wasn\u2019t there to talk about the next season or his contract. He was there to weigh in on a question that has been buzzing in sports circles for months: Should NFL players compete in the 2028 Summer Games, where flag football will make its Olympic debut?<\/p>\n
Last week, the Fanatics Flag Football Classic (FFC) brought together a mix of professional athletes, celebrities, and the U.S. men\u2019s national flag football team for a high\u2011energy exhibition. The event, held in Los Angeles, was a preview of what flag football could look like on the Olympic stage. James, who had been sidelined by a minor injury and couldn\u2019t take part in the game, watched from the sidelines as teammates and opponents executed complex formations and lightning\u2011fast plays.<\/p>\n
He praised the flag football players\u2019 skill set, noting that their agility, quick decision\u2011making, and strategic awareness would give them an edge in a sport that rewards speed and precision over brute force. \u201cI\u2019ve seen the formations they were running out there, it was crazy!\u201d James said. \u201cThey\u2019re more prepared, more skilled.\u201d<\/p>\n
While James acknowledged the excitement of the Olympics, he cautioned that the risk of injury for active NFL players might outweigh the potential glory. He said, \u201cGive the NFL players, you know, that\u2019s kinda retired, already done playing, kind of on the backend, because I feel like a lot of those movements is a lot of risk on your joints, too.\u201d<\/p>\n
James, who finished the previous season with three interceptions and a fumble recovery, highlighted the physical toll that the NFL\u2019s high\u2011impact game takes on the body. He pointed out that the same movements\u2014sudden cuts, high\u2011velocity tackles, and explosive jumps\u2014are also present in flag football, but the stakes are higher when a player\u2019s career and long\u2011term health are on the line.<\/p>\n
In a candid moment, he asked, \u201cDo you want your receiver out there or your number one corner?\u201d The implication was clear: the risk of a serious injury could jeopardize a player\u2019s future in the league.<\/p>\n
James didn\u2019t limit his advice to just the active roster. He also urged practice squad players to skip the Games, noting that their primary goal is to earn a spot on the active roster. \u201cIf you\u2019re still fighting for a place on the team, you don\u2019t want to risk a serious injury that could derail your chances,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that the practice squad\u2019s grind is already intense, with players constantly pushing themselves to impress coaches and secure a promotion. Adding the physical demands of an Olympic competition could be a double\u2011edged sword.<\/p>\n
James did, however, leave a door open for retired or veteran NFL players. He suggested that those who have already hung up their cleats could take the opportunity to compete without the same level of risk. \u201cGive the NFL players, you know, that\u2019s kinda retired, already done playing, kind of on the backend,\u201d he said, implying that the stakes for a retired player are lower.<\/p>\n
Not everyone is ready to heed James\u2019s advice. In a separate interview at the FFC press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When the Los Angeles Chargers\u2019 star safety Derwin James Jr. stepped onto the tarmac at LAX, he wasn\u2019t there to talk about the next season or his contract. He was there to weigh in on a question that has been buzzing in sports circles for months: Should NFL players compete in the 2028 Summer Games,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/influencerswiki.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}