Darrell Doucette III, the quarterback for Team USA's men's national flag football team, recently expressed confidence that the current roster is best suited to represent the United States at the 2028 Summer Olympics, where flag football will be featured for the first time. Doucette remarked, "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 emphasized the team's collective goal of national representation, stating, "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."

Despite this openness to competition, Doucette voiced concerns that he and his teammates might be overlooked now that NFL players have been granted permission to participate in the Olympics. This decision came after NFL owners convened at the Spring League Meeting earlier this month. Doucette noted, "The flag guys deserve their opportunity. That’s all we want. We felt like we worked hard to get the sport to where it’s at, and then when the NFL guys spoke about it, it was like we were getting kicked to the side. I felt like I was the guy who could speak out for my peers, for my brothers that’s been working hard to get to this level, for us not to be forgotten."

Doucette has been vocal in his belief that he possesses the credentials to lead Team USA better than some well-known NFL players, specifically referencing three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. “At the end of the day, I feel like I'm better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,” Doucette stated. He acknowledged Mahomes's current status as one of the league's best but maintained, "when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him." Additionally, Chad Palmer, who coached Canada’s national flag football team for eight years, weighed in on the topic, indicating that he would prefer to face flag football players over NFL talents, citing that the skills of NFL players provide a significant advantage. As Doucette aims for Olympic participation and potentially a gold medal, the competition may intensify as elite NFL players seek to showcase their talents in the upcoming Olympic games.