Vikings' Justin Jefferson Sends NFL Message on Olympic Hopes: 'My Only Chance' originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson may go down as one of the greatest humans to ever play the game of football — but there is still one achievement that remains elusive to the 26-year-old.
Growing up, Jefferson, like many kids, was an avid fan of watching the Summer Olympics, previously stating he watched the track and field and basketball events.
But as Jefferson reached adulthood, his specialization in football deferred those dream of one day competing in the Olympics.
That's until now.
Flag football is slated to make its debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Jefferson, named a Global Flag Ambassador in 2023, has helped make his childhood dreams become a reality, most recently approving of the NFL owners' decision to allow its players to try the sport and compete in the 2028 Summer Games.
That summer can't come soon enough for Jefferson, who admitted time is against him.
In a July 16 interview with Yahoo Sports, Jefferson admitted that the Olympics in Los Angeles may be his "only chance" at achieving his childhood dream.
"That's always been a dream and something that I've always wanted to accomplish, standing on that stage and getting that gold medal. To be an Olympian, that's something I've always dreamt of, but football was never in the Olympics. Now we finally have a chance, and it probably will be my only chance that I can get, so I feel like, why not," said Jefferson, who will be 29 years old by the time he can compete in the Olympics.
Jefferson added that players "don't really know what's going to happen" with their bodies given the toll an NFL season takes.
But, "if everything goes well and everything goes right for me, of course I'd love to compete for a gold medal," Jefferson added.
"That's always been a dream and something that I always wanted to accomplish…standing on that stage and getting that gold medal…just to be an Olympian. That's something that I always dreamt of, but of course football was never really in the Olympics, so now we finally have a… pic.twitter.com/3mTEpgrDnD
— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) July 17, 2025
Jefferson has arguably the best case to land on Team USA, considering he leads the NFL with 7,432 yards receiving since entering the league in 2020. However, how he'll stack up next to his fellow receivers in three years is a reality he is facing.
LA28 announced on Monday that its flag gootball competition will take place from July 15-22 in 2028 — just before NFL training camps are scheduled to begin.
The measure was made to avoid any scheduling conflicts for NFL players and a likely condition of the terms that the NFL owners unanimously agreed to on May 20.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
