PETE GRATHOFF The Kansas City Star
Darrell Doucette III may not be a household name, but chances are you’ve read some of the things he’s said about football.
Doucette is quarterback of the U.S. flag football team and he told TMZ last year that he compares favorably with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Very favorably.
“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,” Doucette said.
That comment went viral, thanks in part to Mahomes’ reaction to Doucette’s claim.
Doucette made headlines again when he told the Washington Post that Team USA doesn’t need NFL players when flag football is played in the 2028 Olympics. That came after NFL owners last week approved letting their players take part in the Olympic Games.
“This is a sport that we’ve played for a long time, and we feel like we are the best at it and we don’t need other guys,” Doucette told Adam Kilgore. “But we all have one goal in mind, and that’s to represent our country. We’re definitely open to all competition. If those guys come in and ball out and they’re better than us, hats off to them. Go win that gold medal for our country.”
On the latest episode of the New Heights podcast, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason, the former Eagles center discussed Doucette’s comments.
Jason Kelce read just the first part of what Doucette told the Post about not needing NFL players on Team USA.
That didn’t sit well with Travis Kelce.
“Is this guy afraid of competition?” he said. “Just have a tryout and the best players make the team.”
Kelce added: “He’s just boxing out other people from joining the sport because they haven’t played this specific style of football?”
That full quote from Doucette made it clear he is open to the NFL players having a chance to show the flag-football guys they can do it better.
Jason Kelce suggested an Olympic play-in game.
“I really do think it’d be cool if we ... just have a team of flag football NFL players play these guys and see if they can win,” Jason Kelce said. “May the best team win.”
