There’s something unmistakable in the way Bijan Robinson talks about flag football — like a kid remembering the first time he touched the ball, and the first time the world slowed down around him. And now, as he readies for another NFL season in Atlanta, his dreams stretch even further — to five rings, an American flag stitched to his chest, and a game he’s known since childhood played on the biggest stage in the world.
On Monday, Robinson stood on the Falcons’ practice field, sweat on his brow and possibility in his voice. “You always want to play for your country,” he said, smiling as he glanced toward a future not yet written. “And I would love to show my skill set on that type of stage.” That stage is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and flag football — a sport that once filled offseason afternoons — may now offer a new, golden chapter.
From Backyard to Olympic Spotlight
Flag football isn’t new to Robinson. Long before he bulldozed SEC defenders or danced past NFL linebackers, he was ducking and dodging in Arizona parks, chasing daylight with a Velcro belt swaying at his hips. The game, in many ways, raised him.
BIJAN ROBINSON IS THE MOST TALENTED RUNNING BACK IN THE #NFL.
🤯
Special-athlete.pic.twitter.com/CNzxMZTcig
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) June 3, 2025
And now, with NFL owners greenlighting player participation in the Olympic version of the sport, Robinson’s imagination has company. Speculation has already bloomed. Could Justin Jefferson moss an entire nation? Would Tyreek Hill even be visible to defenders from Denmark? Most NFL stars have smiled and waved off the idea — Mahomes, Stafford, and others citing timing and risk. But Robinson? He’s leaning in.
“It’s going to come down to our schedule and where it lies,” he admitted. “But I would love to play in that game if given the opportunity.” For him, it’s more than a gimmick. It’s a chance to be part of something bigger — to be a bridge between the game he loves and the world watching.
Respecting the Roots, Reaching for the Sky
Still, Robinson understands the weight of stepping into someone else’s arena. For years, flag football has thrived as its own discipline, nurtured by athletes like Darrell Doucette III — a four-time world champion who recently voiced concern about NFL players overshadowing the community that built the game’s foundation.
Robinson doesn’t shrug that off. He listens. “Obviously, there’s a lot of great flag football players out here, and that’s all they play,” he said. Then, crouching low to the turf, he demonstrated the uncanny agility of flag specialists. “They can get this low to the ground… just not get touched. No NFL player is doing that.”
Atlanta #Falcons running back Bijan Robinson says he would love to play flag football in the Olympics for the USA. @3ptcnvrsn #NFL #RiseUp #3ptcnvrsn pic.twitter.com/3SkcXurU19
— Raphael Haynes (@rahaynes_) June 2, 2025
It was both a compliment and a confession — that while he brings strength, speed, and vision, there’s a beauty in flag football that belongs to those who made it their own. His hope is to be part of it, not take it over. And if he does get the nod, Robinson wants to earn it — not just with name recognition, but with respect.
Eyes on LA, Feet in Atlanta
Just days ago, Robinson was overseas, taking in the Champions League final and watching a flag football camp unfold in Germany. He saw kids flying down the field, eyes wide with joy, flags fluttering at their sides. He even joined in.
“They were playing well,” he said with a grin. “It made me happy to see how enthusiastic they were.” His admiration was real — and so was his competitive spark. Asked if he got juked, Robinson simply smiled, like a man who knows better than to answer a question he doesn’t like.
There’s a long road ahead. Seasons to play. Games to win. And somewhere, down that winding path, the Olympic torch flickers on the horizon. “I’m just excited to see how much it grows up to that point,” he said. “If Coach Raheem lets me go, I’ll do it.”
For now, Bijan Robinson is still a Falcon. But in his heart, he’s already chasing something more — chasing flags, chasing moments, chasing the stars.
