“They End Up Tearing an Achilles or an ACL”: Stephen A. Smith Criticizes NFL Players’ Participation in the LA 2028 Olympics

With the Olympics returning to Los Angeles in 2028 for the first time since 1984, excitement is building among American sports fans. One of the biggest draws? The inclusion of a sport the U.S. proudly claims as its own—football. While it won’t be the full-contact version fans are used to, flag football will make its Olympic debut.

The decision is especially welcome news for NFL players, as the league and the International Federation of American Football have reached an agreement allowing them to participate. Players have been advocating for this ever since the Olympic Committee announced flag football would be included in the Games.

But not everyone is thrilled. One notable skeptic is ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. His main concern? The risk of injury, specifically non-contact injuries like ACL tears. Even though flag football eliminates tackling, it still requires intense movement: sprinting, cutting, and rapid direction changes. That, Smith argues, is enough to put elite athletes at serious risk.

“The bottom line is if you are playing flag football, you are not engaging in contact per se. But you are running, you are cutting. This is football. I don’t want them participating in Olympic competition and having something happen to them where they end up tearing an Achilles or ACL injury or whatever. That’s my point,” he explained. 

Unsurprisingly, Chris Russo. a.k.a.a Mad Dog is also not in favor of players playing in games. His reasoning differs from that of Smith. Well, he doesn’t value an Olympic Gold medal and believes, like a true delusional, that the Lombardi Trophy has more significance than a gold medal. Olympics should be for athletes who have made their life’s mission to win medals in those games.

“You want to know my thoughts on the Olympics? When your sports championship is bigger than an Olympic Gold medal, because let’s face it, would you rather win a Lombardi Trophy or an Olympic Gold medal? If you are a football player, you’d rather win a Lombardi Trophy.”

However, the perspective shared by Smith and Russo may not fully consider the broader context. Referring to winners of the Super Bowl, NBA Championship, or World Series as “world champions” can seem a bit of a stretch, given that these leagues primarily operate within the United States and a limited number of international markets.

The Olympics are on an entirely different level—a truly global event. That’s why someone like Simone Biles or Michael Phelps is a household name around the world, while NFL superstars like Patrick Mahomes remain relatively unknown outside the United States.

NFL players finally have that opportunity with flag football entering the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. And they deserve it. The risk of injury exists no matter where or when you play—during games, practices, or even off the field. In fact, the risk is significantly lower in flag football, which removes tackling and physical contact altogether.

NBA players have participated in the Olympics for decades, and no one has questioned their involvement or raised injury concerns. Should it be any different for NFL players?

Despite Smith’s concerns, the owners have already made the decision, and so has the Olympic federation. All 32 NFL owners signed off on allowing players to participate. The Olympics are coming home, and perhaps NFL players deserve to be part of that historic moment.