TMRW Sports and NFL Take Major Step Toward Pro Flag Football League With First International Talent Qualifier

LONDON — The road to professional flag football — and the 2028 Olympic Games — took another major step forward Tuesday as TMRW Sports, in partnership with the National Football League, held its first talent qualifier at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

The event brought together 57 aspiring elite women’s and men’s flag football players representing nine countries across Europe and Australia, giving athletes an opportunity to showcase their abilities as TMRW Sports and the NFL continue building a new professional flag football league.

Over a day and a half of evaluations, athletes were put through an extensive assessment designed to test the skills needed at the highest levels of flag football. The program included physical measurements, combine stations, individual and one-on-one drills, position-specific work, flag-pulling technique, coaching sessions and simulated gameplay.

More than simply a tryout, the London event represents one of the first tangible steps toward identifying the athletes who could eventually become part of a new professional era for the sport.

Champ Kelly Leads Football Operations

The qualifier was led by Champ Kelly, TMRW Sports’ senior vice president of football operations.

Kelly brings nearly two decades of NFL front-office experience to the project and is overseeing key areas of the developing league, including competition, player personnel, coaching, officiating and team administration.

TMRW Sports has assembled an experienced football operations group around Kelly. According to the organization, the staff collectively brings 11 Super Bowl appearances, four Super Bowl championships and four appearances in the IFAF Flag Football World Championships, including three gold medals.

That level of experience reflects the ambitions behind a league designed to provide elite flag football players with something the sport has historically lacked: a sustainable professional destination.

Building a Professional Pathway

The NFL and TMRW Sports officially announced their partnership in March 2026, with plans to develop and operate professional flag football competition for both women and men.

The project has significant backing throughout professional football.

The NFL's 32 clubs are involved through 32 Equity, their collective investment vehicle, which was authorized to invest up to $32 million in support of the professional league. The initial investor group also includes some of football's most recognizable current and former players, including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Joe Montana, Steve Young, Larry Fitzgerald, Russell Wilson, Bobby Wagner and others.

TMRW Sports enters the project after developing TGL, the technology-driven team golf league created in partnership with the PGA TOUR.

Its flag football venture is expected to follow a similarly modern approach. Plans call for competition inside the first purpose-built stadium for flag football, with technology and data incorporated into broadcasts and the in-person fan experience.

The goal is to highlight the qualities that make flag football distinctive — speed, agility, creativity and rapid decision-making — while giving viewers greater access to the athletes and strategy behind the game.