Robert Griffin III has stepped away from Team USA’s flag football program as the sport gears up for its first-ever Olympic appearance at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The former NFL signal-caller, now 36, made the announcement Friday through social media, revealing he was pulling out of USA Football’s 2026 selection process because of a timing issue.
“A commitment honoring our military veterans is preventing me from attending training camp and that’s not fair to the other 23 guys competing for a spot this year,” Griffin posted. “Looking forward to seeing the squad go to Germany and win Gold and still excited for LA28.”
Griffin had been selected in March as one of four quarterbacks for the 24-player training camp roster. The upcoming camp is set for May 21-24 in Chula Vista, California.
From that group, coaches will trim the roster to 12 players who will compete for the United States at the 16-nation International Federation of American Flag Football World Championships. Those games will take place August 27-30 in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Griffin hasn’t suited up in the NFL since the 2020 campaign and currently serves as a football commentator for ESPN and Fox Sports.
Washington selected Griffin as the second overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft following his standout career at Baylor. He captured NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year recognition and earned a Pro Bowl selection in his debut season. Throughout his professional career spanning 56 games with 42 starts, Griffin accumulated 9,271 passing yards along with 43 touchdown passes and 30 interceptions while playing for Washington (2012-14), Cleveland Browns (2016), and Baltimore Ravens (2018-20). He also contributed 1,809 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns.
