There’s something unmistakable about the way Bijan Robinson talks about Flag Football. Just like when the world first slowed down around him, remembering the child touching the ball. And now, as he is ready for another NFL season in Atlanta, his dreams are growing even further – five rings, an American flag sewn into his chest, and a game he played on the world’s biggest stage since he was a child.
On Monday, Robinson stood on the Falcons’ training field, sweating his forehead and holding potential in his voice. “You always want to play for your country,” he said. He looked towards a future that had not yet been written. “And I want to show my skill set at that type of stage.” That stage will be the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and the sport that once filled the afternoon of the offseason may offer a new golden chapter.
From the backyard to the Olympic spotlight
Flag football is nothing new to Robinson. Long before he bulldozed an SEC defender or danced past NFL linebackers, he ducked and dodged in Arizona Parks, chasing the daylight with his hips shaking to his hips. The game nurtured him in many ways.
Bijan Robinson is the most talented run in #nfl.
🤯
Special athlete.pic.twitter.com/cnzxmztcig
– mlfootball (@_mlfootball) June 3, 2025
And now, with the NFL owners taking part in the Olympic version of the sport, Robinson’s imagination has the company. Speculation is already in bloom. Will Justin Jefferson Moss become the whole country? Does Tyreek Hill even look like a Danish defender? Most NFL stars are smiling and undulating, like Mahomes, Stafford and others citing timing and risk. But Robinson? He is leaning.
“It’ll depend on our schedule and where it is,” he admitted. “But if I’m given the opportunity, I’d like to play that game.” For him, that’s more than a gimmick. It’s a chance to be part of something bigger, as it’s the bridge between the game he loves and the world he sees.
Respect the roots and reach for the sky
Still, Robinson understands the weight of stepping into someone else’s arena. Over the years, Flag Football has thrived as a unique discipline nurtured by athletes like Darrell Doucette III. This is the four-time world champion who recently raised concerns about NFL players who are obscuring the community that builds the game’s foundations.
Robinson doesn’t shrug it. He listens. “Obviously there are a lot of great flag football players out there, and that’s all they play,” he said. Then, tired of the grass, he showed the eerie agility of the flag expert. “They can lower this to the ground… they just can’t touch it. NFL players aren’t doing that.”
Atlanta #falcons Backback Baijan Robinson says he loves playing flag football at the US Olympics. @3ptcnvrsn #nfl #riseup #3ptcnvrsn pic.twitter.com/3skcxuru19
– Raphael Haynes (@rahaynes_) June 2, 2025
It was both a complimentary and a confession – he brings strength, speed, vision, but there is beauty in flag football, which belongs to those who made it himself. His hope is not to take over it, but to be a part of it. And if he gets a nod, Robinson wants to win it – not just with name recognition, but with respect.
LA eyes, Atlanta feet
A few days ago, Robinson was abroad, taking part in the Champions League finals and watching the flag football camp unfold in Germany. He saw the kids flying across the field, their eyes flying wide with joy. He joined.
“They played well,” he said with a laugh. “I was happy to see how enthusiastic they were.” His praise was authentic – and so was his competitive spark. When asked if he had jucked, Robinson simply smiled, like a man who knew better than answering a question he disliked.
There’s a long way ahead. It’s the season to play. A game to win. And somewhere down that winding path, the Olympic torch flickers down the horizon. “I’m excited to see how much it will grow to that point,” he said. “If Director Raheem lets me go, I’ll do it.”
For now, Bijan Robinson is still Falcon. But in his mind, he is already chasing something – chasing the flag, chasing the moment, chasing the stars.
