Ravens Stars Could Become Olympic Athletes

Two Baltimore Ravens superstars could take the international stage at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Jul 27, 2024; Owings Mill , MD, USA; Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) throws during the afternoon session of training camp at the Under Armour Performance Center, Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Like the rest of the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens are now getting back into the swing of things with the preseason now underway. For once, though, the NFL is not at the center of the sports world.

That honor goes to the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, which comes to a close on Sunday. When the Olympics come around again in 2028, though, a new sport will be in the mix: 5-on-5 flag football. It may not be the full 11-on-11, but American football will finally make its Olympic debut at the 2028 games in Los Angeles.

That begs the question: which NFL stars could take part in Olympic flag football? CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin named several players who could fit the bill, with Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson earning the nod as the starting quarterback.

"Speed and agility take precedence over physicality in flag football, and the Baltimore Ravens star has long set the standard for dual-threat signal-callers," Benjamin writes. "He'll be 31 in 2028, but like Michael Vick before him, Jackson's also got unteachably effortless arm strength. There isn't a more dynamic prospect to man the starting quarterback spot, even looking a half-decade ahead."

Jackson isn't the only Raven on the list, as versatile safety Kyle Hamilton also appeared as one of the many stars on defense.

"Flag safeties are deemed the 'quarterback' of the defense, and Hamilton did it all at the heart of the Baltimore Ravens' stingy defense in 2023, working alongside Pro Bowlers like Roquan Smith to stay around the ball in multiple roles, be it nickel corner, quasi-linebacker and deep patroller," Benjamin writes. "At just 23, he's only now emerging at the NFL level, which bodes well for a future Olympic bid."

The important thing to note is that the 2028 Olympics are obviously still four years away, which is an eternity in NFL time. Hamilton should still be in his prime at 27, but Jackson at 31 is a bit more of a question mark. Hopefully for the Ravens' sake, though, they'll both be thriving then and have a Super Bowl ring under their belt.

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