If there is one thing Patrick Mahomes has not accomplished in his career, it is winning a gold medal at the Olympics. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, along with the rest of the NFL, will get a chance to achieve that when flag football debuts in the 2028 Olympic Games.

However, despite the unique opportunity, Mahomes suggested he will pass on the Olympics. When asked about the possibility at OTAs, the Chiefs star said he will “probably leave that to the younger guys,” according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

Flag football is one of the handful of sports that will debut in the 2028 Summer Olympics. Those games will be held in Los Angeles, California, marking the games' return to the United States for the first time since 20o2.

Mahomes, 29, will be 32 by the time flag football debuts at the Olympics. The primary concern in his mind is the additional workload the international competition demands. With the Summer Olympics directly intervening with the NFL offseason, participating in them would give a veteran like Mahomes less recovery time between seasons, especially if he makes another Super Bowl run.

While Mahomes is far from the end of his career, injury management is a major part of quarterback longevity. Many former legends often repeat that while training hard is the early focus of one's journey, training smart is the key to late-career success.

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes' Olympics controversy

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Mahomes was initially dragged into the Olympic spotlight by Team USA flag football quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette. The longtime flag football star virally claimed he was “better” than Mahomes while saying he finds it “disrespectful” that NFL players believe they will be handed a spot on the team. Doucette claimed his sport is fundamentally different than traditional American football, which gives the current team an edge over NFL stars.

Fans erupted over Doucette's comments, particularly when some found clips of the 35-year-old's highlights and criticized his throwing mechanics. The social media storm forced Mahomes to respond, which he did with a simple GIF.

While Mahomes might not be a part of Team USA's 2028 Summer Olympics flag football team, several other NFL stars plan to be. Tyreek Hill, DK Metcalf, Aaron Jones and many others expressed interest in trying out for the team.