The NFL has opened the doors for its stars to participate in the Olympics. The Kansas City Chiefs need to make sure Patrick Mahomes isn’t one of them.
On Wednesday, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported that league owners will discuss a resolution at the upcoming spring meetings that would allow players to participate in the 2028 Summer Olympics in flag football. With the games set to take place in Los Angeles, the NFL clearly wants its brightest stars front and center when the sport makes its Olympic debut.
But for the Chiefs, the conversation should stop at one very obvious boundary: Patrick Mahomes’ participation.
The thought of watching Mahomes playing flag football on a global stage might make for a viral moment or two. It’d also be good for the NFL’s brand as the league continues to push into new international territories. That said, the idea of having a team’s franchise quarterback risking injury in a meaningless exhibition is too much to take.
The Chiefs need to keep a tight rein on any hopes of Mahomes to play in the Olympics.
The Chiefs have kinda/sorta gone through this before. Back in 2019, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach made a joking reference about limiting Mahomes’ activities—specifically to prohibit him from playing basketball. “As soon as I saw [a video of Mahomes playing], it probably took me two seconds to call his agent,” Veach said on Sports Radio 810. “That was a big no-no.”
Later, Veach confirmed the conversation with Mahomes was more lighthearted than disciplinary, saying, “Hey man, you are breaking a lot of ankles out there. Just make sure you don’t break your own.”
But there is some truth to what Veach said even back in 2019. While it’s impossible to predict whether or not a player is going to get injured, there’s at least something to be said for protecting your most precious assets. For the Chiefs, that’s undoubtedly Mahomes.
In fact, the stakes are different for Mahomes than they are for anyone else in this conversation. He’s not just the face of the franchise but of the entire league. His health dictates not only the success of the league’s premier franchise, but the NFL itself leans heavily on Mahomes’ abilities, charisma, and persona.
Despite what Mahomes’ participation might mean for some Olympic hopes for the U.S., there are far greater priorities than a gold medal. It’s about a continued chase to pile up as many Lombardi Trophies for the Chiefs as they possibly can.
