James knows exactly what he is talking about. He was drafted to suit up for the Wildcats FFC alongside Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels on March 21. Instead, a minor injury forced him to withdraw days before kickoff, prompting the team to call up veteran Harrison Smith to take his roster spot. Sidelined at BMO Stadium, James watched the U.S. National Team roll through the NFL talent, finishing the exhibition with a dominant 24-14 victory over Tom Brady’s Founders FFC in the championship game.
Missing the action gave James a clear view of the distinct physical toll the sport demands. Flag football requires relentless lateral agility, sudden stops, and rapid-fire changes in direction—movements that put ACLs and ankles in the crosshairs on every single snap. According to James, the specialized national team players already possess the exact skill set required to dominate, making the injury risk for active NFL players entirely unnecessary.
“The injury risk in the sport is too high. Active NFL players should consider sitting out the upcoming Games.”
— Derwin James Jr., speaking to TMZ Sports
This completely flips the script on the 2028 Los Angeles Games. While stars have openly toyed with the idea of chasing Olympic medals, NFL front offices are likely sweating over the exposure. You can almost feel the tension in the executive suites as a premier defender waves the caution flag. If general managers start echoing James’s concerns, expect teams to enforce strict clauses in their contracts, grounding franchise players during the summer.
For the specialized flag football athletes, this is massive validation. They proved last weekend they do not need NFL ringers to win on the global stage. For the active pros eyeing a gold medal, James’s warning serves as a harsh reality check: the hardware might not be worth the rehab.
