The National Football League (NFL) is planning to launch both women's and men's professional flag football leagues in the lead-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the timeline at the Leaders in Sport conference in London. Flag football will be featured in the Olympics for the first time in 2028.

Goodell stated that the NFL is committed to creating both a women's and men's professional league, and that there has already been a great deal of interest in the initiative. The NFL sees flag football as a way to attract young fans, both male and female. According to Goodell, there is a demand for flag football, with colleges in the United States and universities internationally wanting to incorporate it into their programs. He emphasized the importance of creating a structure that includes youth leagues, high school programs, college teams, and professional leagues.

In May 2025, NFL owners approved a resolution that will allow NFL players to participate in flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Each NFL team will be permitted to send one player to the Olympics, along with an additional international player if designated.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced in October 2023 that flag football would be included in the LA28 Olympic sports program. The NFL, in partnership with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and LA28, launched a handover spot called "Light It Up" to celebrate this moment. The video featured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback and Global Flag Football Ambassador Jalen Hurts.

The NFL and IFAF are considering launching new elite flag football competitions to accelerate the sport's development before its Olympic debut. In 2022, the two organizations launched a joint venture called Vision28 to push for flag football's inclusion as an Olympic sport and to grow the game globally. The NFL currently operates a youth flag football league in the US, called NFL Flag, which has over 600,000 participants across all 50 states. The league has expanded to international markets, including the UK, Germany, China, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Each country's National Olympic Committee will choose the rosters of 10 players. The 2028 Summer Olympics will take place from July 14-30.