The 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games brought flag football on full display for the third straight year.

The NFL’s best players — outside of the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, of course — were on full display in Orlando playing one of the fastest-rising sports in the country. It’s no secret that the NFL is plugging flag football as much as it can, with the sport a part of the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

The NFL went away from the traditional tackle format of the game after the 2022 Pro Bowl to the flag football version you see today. While the format may have mixed reviews from fans — the first two versions saw declining ratings — there’s little doubt that it’s playing a role in the growing popularity of the sports amongst all demographics.

“Flag is a year-round sport — that only adds to it and also adds to the skyrocket growth of the sport,” says head of NFL Flag and former safety Izell Reese in a one-on-one interview. “Having this variation has definitely had its momentum. The NFL flag youth level — which we’ve overseen over the past five years — has skyrocketed. When we first took over it was 200,000 participants. Now we’re 800,000 strong. We’re knocking at the door of a million kids alone just playing NFL flag.”

The game has become such a prevalent part of sports — now that it’s at the Olympic Games level — that NFL stars such as Tyreek Hill have teased playing in 2028. Legends such as Drew Brees, Eli and Peyton Manning have become ambassadors of flag football.

“I played flag football until eighth grade,” says Eli Manning. “I love flag football, I think it’s a great entry point into football. But also it’s an alternative game, it doesn’t have to be an entry point into football. You can just stay playing flag, it’ll be in the Olympics in 2028. You see a lot of the girls are playing it in middle and high school. It’s a wonderful sport. You see a lot of these guys here (Pro Bowl players) started in flag football and here they are.”

Reese outlines the popularity among young women in the sport, which has given them a “door” into football.

 ”At the high school level, Louisiana just became the 15th state to sanction the sport, meaning that girls can play for the high school,” says Reese. “Just the growth of that from 2023 to 2024, it was over 100%. So 50,000 girls participating and it’ll double again this year. We anticipate seeing 100,000-plus young women playing at high school by the end of this year.”

The popularity of flag football is growing across all levels and demographics, with Reese mentioning that 60-plus colleges and universities now offer flag football. Alabama State became the first Division I and HBCU to offer the sport this year.

 ”We’ll hit 60 plus colleges and universities offering this sport at every level,” says Reese. “So NAI started a few years ago, followed by junior college, and then it’s just worked its way up to NCAA ranks, with multiple Division III and Division II programs.

“I just see that momentum continuing to grow,” Reese continues to say. “We got an opportunity to submit the application of flag football as an emerging sport at the NCAA level. What that means is it’s the first domino to fall at the NCAA level by potentially being recognized.”

The first-ever HBCU flag football tournament was actually held this past weekend in Orlando during the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games. Ten teams took the field with athletes from HBCU programs across the country. Florida A&M emerged victorious on both the men and women’s side. Reese explains the importance of the tournament and why HBCUs being a part of flag football is important from a “diversity, accessibility” standpoint.

 ”Flag football is a top-five sport at the intramural level in college,” says Reese. “A lot of people don’t know that. It continues to bring this ecosystem together. It goes without saying the significance of HBCUs — historically Black colleges and universities — and having them part of this game is such a meaningful and pivotal way as they have been throughout the college ranks.

“Flag football is now a collegiate sport at multiple levels,” Reese continues to say. “There’s a large portion of HBCUs that are a big part of that.”

Reese once again hammers home the “fastest growing” aspect of the sport.

 ”This is the fastest growing sport for women at the present time at the high school and collegiate level as those doors are being opened,” says Reese. “Hopefully, with the growth of that, it leads to championship status at the NCAA level.”

Reese says the long-term objective of the NFL when it relates to flag football is continuing to see it grow, mentioning the “global growth” of the sport is here to say.

He says it also wouldn’t surprise him if current or former NFL stars participated in flag football in the 2028 Summer Olympics.

 ”I think both active and former players, if given a chance, why not,” asks Reese. “You ask any NFL player who has a chance to medal and represent your country, I’m sure it’d be unanimous of them wanting to be a part of something like that.”