Malik Nabers seems like a no-brainer
NFL owners passed a resounding 32-0 resolution to allow NFL players to participate in flag football for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Of course, financial safeguards will be in place in case of injuries, which is likely why the owners felt comfortable passing the legislation.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has expanded the NFL internationally and continues to expand the game to other countries in an attempt to pique interest and tap into different markets. What better way to do that than to allow the best football players to represent their countries in the Olympics?
Brandon Loree of Blogging the Boys wrote an article on the subject about the Dallas Cowboys. Here’s one major stipulation detailed in his article:
A maximum of one player from each team will be allowed to participate, and each club’s designated international player is also permitted to take part for his country.
USA Today detailed the flag football rules. The snippet below also appeared in Pride of Detroit.
According to the International Federation of American Football, the “Standard Style” of international flag football play is five-on-five, which is the format that will be implemented in the 2028 Olympics. Rather than tackling offensive players to complete a play, defenders pull a standardized flag – roughly 15 inches long by two inches wide – off of a belt worn by each player.
There are no offensive or defensive linemen on either team, and games take place on a field that is 50 yards long and 25 yards wide. Rosters will have a 12-player maximum and all teams only have players of the same gender.
Each team gets four downs to attempt to cross midfield for a new set of downs. An unsuccessful set of downs gives the ball back to the defense on its own 5-yard line. An interception gives the defense the ball at the spot the play ends following the interception.
Teams are allowed to run the ball anywhere on the field besides the five-yard areas directly bordering the end zone. Jumping and diving as the ball-carrier in any context is illegal.
Each team’s defense can have a maximum of two blitzers that may rush the quarterback directly so long as all parts of their bodies are more than seven yards from the line of scrimmage before the snap”
We’ll consider five Giants players who best fit the Olympic model for flag football. However, let us not forget that these games will be held in 2028. Contracts and personnel could change for the Giants in three years. It’s a fun exercise, nonetheless.
Option 1: Malik Nabers, WR
Tackle, touch, flag — whatever! Catching the football is a universal skill for playing football; few people on earth perform that activity, as well as Malik Nabers. He can uncover against-man coverage, find soft spots in zone and not have to worry about getting his head taken off while also being agile enough to evade would-be grabbers attempting to seize his flag and stop Nabers in his tracks.
Nabers is under contract until 2028 if the Giants exercise his fifth-year option. At that time, he will be 25 years old. Nabers is on the trajectory of being one of the most dynamic wide receivers in the NFL. He may just represent his country in the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Option 2: Abdul Carter, EDGE
Few players move and operate like Carter in space, especially at 250 pounds and with his elite control and explosiveness while moving forward. Carter is dynamic and will be under contract with the Giants in 2028 as a 24-year-old, who — is likely — looking to get paid. Flag football is predicated on change of direction and athletic ability — both are assets that Carter easily employs. We’ll see if he’s willing to possibly represent the Giants and his country as he approaches a contract year (if he’s not signed long-term already).
Option 3: Tyler Nubin, SAF
Nubin is a free agent in 2028 as a 27-year-old. The young safety has a lot to prove as an NFL player, but he had a promising rookie season. Nubin was known for his ability to take the football away. The Giants only had six interceptions last season, but one has to imagine — with the overall defensive upgrades — that the pendulum should swing in the other direction.
Nubin may be the beneficiary of that swing; his awareness, eye discipline, and timing allowed him to undercut several routes at Minnesota. He should create more turnovers in the coming years, and he could be an option as a safety with excellent eyes that make flag football quarterbacks pay for their aggression.
Option 4: Cam Skattebo, RB
Skattebo is a football player who transcends context or situation. Although he is a wrecking ball with rock in his hands and excellent contact balance, he’s also quick with his change of direction and is terrific at angling his body away from defenders. Skattebo will likely become a fan favorite and could earn his way onto the team through his skill set as someone in a running-back tandem OR due to his popularity in the NFL. Skattebo will be under contract through the 2028 season.
Option 5: Dexter Lawrence, DL
Lawrence will be a free agent in 2028 as a 31-year-old. Still, Lawrence may want to retire a Giant, which would give that tattoo on his arm more meaning. Flag football still needs players who can push the pocket and force the quarterback off-kilter; Thirty-one isn’t ancient for a defensive lineman, and Lawrence could be a veteran representative of the Giants.
