Happy midweek, everyone! John Breech is busy advocating for the Cincinnati Bengals to shore up their latest contract drama (or so we think), so today’s Pick Six newsletter is brought to you by Cody Benjamin, with tidbits on all the latest NFL buzz.
Be sure to subscribe right here, to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And keep on reading for everything from updates about major decisions by NFL owners to a proposed international lineup of NFL talent:
1. NFL to the Olympics: 2028 flag football is officially a go
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The NFL is going global. Not only will the league play a record seven international games during its 2025 schedule, but now NFL players will be free to try out for the 2028 Olympics, where flag football is slated to make its Summer Games debut. NFL owners voted Tuesday to officially greenlight the setup, which dictates that prospective Olympic teams use a maximum of one player per NFL team. Already several big names, like the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson, have celebrated the decision.
2. Best possible 2028 Olympic team: Jayden Daniels at QB?
Now that NFL players are cleared to aim for Summer Games competition in 2028, which of football’s top talents are best equipped to actually represent Team USA in Los Angeles? In reality, it’s possible, if not probable, that the Olympic flag team will be comprised of mostly non-NFL players. Yet we did our best to identify the top candidates to make the transition. Here’s a sneak peek at our picks for potential Olympics flag football starters:
- QB: Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders)
- RB/WR: Jahmyr Gibbs (Detroit Lions)
- WR/DB: Justin Jefferson (Minnesota Vikings)
- WR/DB: Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinnati Bengals)
- WR/DB: Travis Hunter (Jacksonville Jaguars)
Check out our full proposed lineup of Olympic athletes right here.
3. ‘Tush Push’ vote: NFL owners uphold controversial play
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NFL owners resumed discussions about the polarizing “Tush Push” quarterback sneak play this week, debating over its place in the game two months after the Green Bay Packers unsuccessfully lobbied to ban the play, which was popularized by the Philadelphia Eagles in recent years. Not even initial discussions Wednesday could bring the group to a decision, but an ensuing closed session resulted in owners upholding the play for 2025, with 10 teams still supporting the play’s legality.
With the “Tush Push” secure for now, what other big changes could the NFL make in the coming years? We proposed three bold endeavors for the league, including the formation of an entire NFL FLAG minor league. Check out those ideas right here.
4. Playoff seeding stays the same: Lions withdraw proposal
Despite preparing a proposal to reseed the playoffs based solely on standings rather than divisional finish, the Detroit Lions withdrew the idea from this week’s NFL owners meetings, essentially tabling any potential playoff restructuring until future years. Basically, this means the playoff seeding will remain the same for at least 2025; division winners will still receive home-field advantage over wild-card teams, even if the latter finish the regular season with a better record.
5. Coaching hot seat: Mike Tomlin under pressure in Pittsburgh
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Jeff Kerr recently combed through all 32 teams to identify the head coaches facing the most pressure in 2025. And he’s got a big name atop his rundown: Mike Tomlin, who’s never had a losing season in almost two decades as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ boss.
Despite his regular-season success, the Steelers have not won a playoff game since 2016 and are on a six-game losing streak in the postseason. Since Tomlin took the Steelers to Super Bowl XLV, Pittsburgh is 3-9 in the postseason. The Steelers are mired in a state of mediocrity under Tomlin, just being good enough for him to retain his job. Pittsburgh needs Aaron Rodgers, or the Steelers could have their worst season under Tomlin … and potentially cost him his job.
Check out Kerr’s full breakdown of coaches on the hot seat right here.
6. Extra points: Parsons’ absence, Woodson buys piece of Browns
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