Source: Goodell’s claim that league is “considering” a pro flag football league is an “understatement”

During his annual Super Bowl press conference, Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL is “considering” the possibility of launching a professional flag football league.

In response to his characterization of the potential project, a source with knowledge of the situation called it an “understatement.”

“The work is very much underway,” the source said.

It’s unclear when it would launch. It makes sense to unveil an NFL-branded flag league in the aftermath of the 2028 Olympics, where flag football will make its debut. And it could become an avenue for older players who want to transition away from tackle football — or younger players who can’t find a home on an NFL team.

Not everyone in the NFL ecosystem is smitten with the proliferation of flag football. As another source said on Monday, before the Goodell comments, the effort to push flag football could prompt kids (and their parents) to avoid tackle football entirely. If/when a pro league becomes a viable destination, more kids might choose to pursue the safer version of the sport. Which would eventually impact the supply of high-end talent that otherwise would land in the NFL.

In response, I suggested to the source that perhaps the league is trying to create an alternative version of pro football, in the event that advances in medicine reveal more and more about CTE and other short- and long-term risks of full-contact football. The source suggested that the powers-that-be aren’t equipped to think that far ahead, and that they’re simply hoping to create and leverage a new revenue stream.

Will there be an appetite for pro flag football? If fans are bombarded with flag football on TV, and if/when they’re able to bet on it, maybe it will find its footing. Still, if it becomes too popular, it could eventually impact the traditional version of the game.