FRANKFURT, Germany — With flag football coming to the Olympics, an international reporter was wondering whether current Patriots players would be interested in making that leap.
In Jabrill Peppers, he may have asked the wrong guy.
After practicing at the German national soccer team’s training facility on Friday afternoon, the hard-hitting safety politely said that the non-contact Olympic game will probably never be his style.
“I don’t know about the flag football thing. I’m a violent guy. I like hitting people,” Peppers said. “I don’t think I’d fare too well. They try to kick me out of games with equipment, so I don’t think that’ll be for me — for sure.”
$200 INSTANT BONUS
DRAFTKINGS MASS
BET $5, GET $200 BONUS BET
FANDUEL MASS
BET $50, GET $250 BONUS
CAESARS MASS
$1,000 FIRST-BET BONUS
BETMGM MASS
MA only. 21+. Gambling Problem? If you or a loved one is experiencing problems with gambling, please call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org for 24/7 support. LiveChat with a GameSense Advisor at GameSenseMA.com or call 1-800-GAM-1234
MA Gambling Helpline.
Chatting with MassLive at his locker a season ago, Peppers spoke at length about how he wished he’d been around for the NFL’s early days before the league got “soft as hell.”
“I say that every day, because Bill (Belichick) is a big historian. Every time he shows some old film, I’m like, ‘Man, I should have played back in the day,’” Peppers said. “The big shoulder pads. Only a couple route concepts. You know they’re going to run the ball downhill, two back, Wing T, Now the game’s gotten kinda soft, man. It’s hard to be super physical. You can still play physical, but it’s kinda hard.”
Peppers understands why the rules changed, but that doesn’t change his personal desire to play an old fashioned game.
“I feel like they had to with all the concussions, CTE came out and all that,” Peppers said. “I feel like they tried to make the game more safe, I guess. But for me, it’s like, we’ve all been playing football, some of since we were six, seven years old. We know what we’re getting ourselves into.
“But I think they’ve definitely made the game a lot softer. Receivers aren’t scared to come across the middle anymore because they know there are certain amount of ways we can only hit them. Back then, receivers were afraid to come across the middle because they knew punishment awaits. It’s a whole different game, but they want to see points scored, not good defense being played.”
With flags on, Peppers can’t hit them at all. So yes, it’s a safe bet that he’ll pass on the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
- NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
