Patrick Mahomes Wants In On Olympic Flag Football, So All Other Nations Can Stay Home (Unless He Gets The Flu Again)
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is coming off of his flu game against the Denver Broncos. His flu game went a little less like Michael Jordan's and a hell of a lot more like the kind of flu game you or I would have had.
But hey, it happens, and that doesn't change the fact that Mahomes is the preeminent signal caller in the National Football League.
So with, flag football debuting at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, can the American people expect Mahomes to compete for gold?
“I definitely want to," Mahomes said Friday in Germany when asked if he wants to compete at the Olympics, per WDAF-TV. "I’ve seen some of those guys play the flag football, and they’re a little faster than I am.”
Never mind that he said "the flag football" the way an old person calls it "the Instagram," Mahomes needs to be on the Team USA roster in '28.
Sure, some flag footballers may be quick, but can they unload side-arm passes that send Cris Collinsworth into fits of ecstasy? No, I don't think they can.
Mahomes said if age doesn't get him — he'll be in his early thirties at that point, so unless something wild happens, he should be fine — he wouldn't mind getting out there.
“I know there’s not like lineman blocking for you," he said. "I’ll be 31, 32 years old, so if I can still move around then I’m gonna try to get out there and try to throw the football around, maybe in LA. Just don’t tell Coach Reid, or Veach or anybody.”
If anyone says anything about Mahomes competing we'll just accuse them of being un-American.
Problem solved.
The US Has To Win Flag Football Gold With Or Without The Likes of Mahomes
We all know football — even flag football — gold at the Summer Olympics is the US's to lose. We have to win it, and everyone who's able needs to answer the call. That includes Patrick Mahomes.
However, even if he decides to sit it out, we should still see an all-star roster of NFLers — and they want in — other countries may as well not waste money on airfare.
We can't afford to be embarrassed by not winning gold in a watered-down version of football on our home turf.
I shudder to even think about the idea of being on the second step of the podium while the Swedish (or whoever might be pretty decent at flag football) national anthem plays.
Fortunately, that simply won't be happening.
Follow on X: @Matt_Reigle