Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase hesitant about competing in 2028 Olympics flag football

Cincinnati Bengals star receiver Ja’Marr Chase isn’t entirely sold on the idea of competing in the Olympics when the U.S. gets to host the Summer Games in 2028. 

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday after the first day of organized team activities (OTAs), Chase expressed hesitation in competing in the Los Angeles Olympics, adding that he will need more information about how it will all play out before making a decision. 

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) catches a pass during the Cincinnati Bengals practice in Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (IMAGN)

“I don’t know,” Chase said, via Sports Illustrated. “I want to hear more information about it. I want to know the timing for us, offseason, in season. I want to know if we’re getting paid. I want to know where we traveling every other week or every day, like all that plays a part, because we have an offseason, we have a life. How long would that be? I don’t know.

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“There’s a lot of questions to it. I think it’s pretty cool, but I’m not really 100% on it yet.”

Flag football will make its debut at the Summer Games when the Olympics return to LA for the first time since 1984. NFL players will now have a chance to earn a gold medal while representing their country — a goal that many pros have long hoped to one day achieve. 

Just last week, NFL owners voted unanimously to approve a motion that will allow players in the league to participate — a move the NHL announced it was doing just last year. 

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) runs with the ball against the Cleveland Browns in the second half at Paycor Stadium on Dec. 22, 2024. (Katie Stratman-Imagn Images)

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While most NFL players have expressed excitement over the chance to compete, underlying tensions from the flag football community have risen. 

Darrell Doucette III, who is already on the U.S. men’s national team as the team’s quarterback when the team sat on top of the world flag football rankings last year, made headlines in August when he claimed that he was better than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes — with regard to flag football, specifically. 

He said at the time that his hope is that NFL players will have to try out for a place to compete — just as the current flag football players have had to do.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase (1) runs a route during the Cincinnati Bengals practice in Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (IMAGN)

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“This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys,” he told The Washington Post in a recent interview.  “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country.”

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

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