NFL EVP/Club Business, International & League Events Peter O’Reilly on Monday said that the league is “eyeing a late-spring or early-summer 2027 launch” for its men’s and women’s pro flag football leagues, according to Jayna Bardahl of THE ATHLETIC. O’Reilly, appearing on the “Up & Adams” show, said, “We’re in the lab, if you will, of really building what that league’s going to be like. Thinking about what’s the structure of it, where are we playing games, how does it roll out?” Bardahl noted the NFL has “invested heavily in the growth of flag football.” The league indicated that it is “among the world’s fastest-growing sports with 20 million participants in youth, men’s and women’s levels across 100 countries.” Bardahl noted NFL owners also “view the sport as a tool to continue to grow pro football’s popularity worldwide, particularly in the lead-up” to the 2028 L.A. Games, which will feature men’s and women’s flag football for the first time. In March, the NFL unveiled the selection of TMRW Sports as its developmental and operational partner in launching pro flag football. When asked if pro flag leagues could be a development tool for the NFL, O’Reilly “separated the two sports.” O’Reilly: “More than anything, it is a distinct sport, a distinct path. Certainly on the women’s side, this will be the best of the best from around the world playing in this professional flag league” (THE ATHLETIC, 5/18).
NFL eyes 2027 launch for men’s, women’s pro flag leagues
