Flag football is officially an Olympic sport, and the Bears are excited. On Monday, the Olympic Games announced on Twitter that countries will go for the gold in flag football in 2028, along with several new sports.
This is the first time athletes will ever play flag football at the Olympics, and some major NFL names have already expressed interest in playing, like former Patriots and Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Chicago sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Bears launched a girls flag football program back in 2021 that now features over 100 teams across Illinois, including participation from 60 CPS schools. They’re excited to see flag football on an enormous global stage in the coming years.
“I love that, I really do,” said head coach Matt Eberflus on Friday. “I think when you have flag football, you’re getting more involved in the game of football and it’s just growing the game. I think that’s awesome. It’s great and that’s going to be cool to watch.”
The Bears have helped bring flag football to the world themselves. They collaborated with the Jets to launch the first-ever girls flag football league in the UK, and now they’re looking to do the same in Spain.
“As the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympic games unfolds, the Chicago Bears are committed to furthering the growth and development of flag football, locally and globally,” the team said in a statement. “Their dedication is aimed at ensuring that more girls have equal opportunities to their male counterparts and have a chance to aspire to become the next generation of Olympic stars.”
