There are hot takes, and then there are USA Flag Football quarterback Darrell Doucette's takes. Doucette claimed his flag football IQ makes him better than Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes reacted with a classic 50 Cent meme, via his social media.

With flag football set to become an Olympic sport for the first time in 2028, Mahomes is one of several NFL players who have expressed interest in representing the USA. However, Doucette has taken exception to the idea that he should be replaced by the Chiefs star just because of his status, via TMZ Sports.

“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,” Doucette said. “I know he’s right now the best in the league, I know he’s more accurate, I know he has all these intangibles, but when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.”

Does Doucette have a point?

Darrell Doucette's opinion is valid despite not being on the Chiefs

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It’s one thing for Doucette to advocate for a fair and equal tryout process for all athletes. It’s another to proclaim himself as better than a three-time Super Bowl champion in his prime.

Doucette, though, is understandably frustrated about higher-profile athletes potentially taking the spots of non-NFL players who have specifically trained in flag football for years, via The Guardian's Ramon Antonio Vargas.

“I think it’s disrespectful that they just automatically assume that they’re able to just join the Olympic team because of the person that they are – they didn’t help grow this game to get to the Olympics,” Doucette explained. “Give the guys who helped this game get to where it’s at their respect.”

While Doucette is right to advocate for a fair process, alienating himself from the NFL world isn’t a great idea, either. Mahomes is deservedly considered the top dog of the sport right now, and it probably wouldn’t take long for him to adjust to the rules of flag football if he were selected for the team.

While the 2028 Los Angeles games are still a long way away, it may be worth it for both sides to consider a compromise. Having a team with both the pioneers of the game and the NFL’s biggest stars seems like the best way to keep everyone happy.