25 October 2023 , 17:28
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Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is desperate to get his hands on a gold medal after hearing that flag football will make its Olympics debut in 2028.
Flag football is a commonly practiced game at high school in Canada and the United States and is similar to standard American football rules. However, no contact is allowed, and instead players have flags attached to their sides and they must be pulled off in order to 'tackle' the player in possession.
It's already expected that Team USA will dominate the first flag football at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with the NFL encouraging active players to get involved. Tyreek Hill, AJ Brown, and Micah Parsons have already expressed an interest in playing, and now Kelce wants to join fellow Super Bowl-winning tight end Rob Gronkowski - who is the same age - in signing up.
Kelce discussed the subject on the latest episode of his "New Heights" podcast, hosted with brother, Jason. His brother is also an active NFL player but for the Philadelphia Eagles, and both are keen to get their name on the roster in just under five years time.
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"For the first time in the history of our sport, guys are going to be able to represent our country and play football," Jason said when hyping up the news. "It's flag football, so not anywhere near as cool, but still."
Kelce spoke about his intentions on his New Heights podcast (New Heights)Hill, Brown, and Parsons who have already expressed interest are all under the age of 30, but Travis Kelce is already 34, with his brother a year older. It means that the Kelce brothers will be 39 and 40 by the time the Olympics rolls around, but they have a cunning plan to still get a gold medal.
"We are going to be old, all in the same boat in that regard," Travis said. "I think we are just all going to be assistant coaches or something, but I need a gold medal so I have to be on that roster."
The NFL has been encouraging current players to represent their countries in 2028, with the league still making a big effort to expand their brand worldwide. Games are already being held in the UK, Germany, and Mexico, with plans for further expansion in the future.
"We are going to absolutely smoke everyone," Travis joked when speaking about the competition. The other incentive for NFL players is that the 2028 Olympics clashes with training camp, something players notoriously don't enjoy.