Patrick Mahomes responded to US flag football quarterback Darrell ‘Housh’ Doucette after the latter issued a challenge to the Kansas City Chiefs star.
With flag football making its debut at the 2028 Games, many have assumed the United States would simply assemble a squad of the NFL’s best players for its men’s team.
Still, Doucette believes he can beat out three-time Super Bowl winner Mahomes for a roster spot.
He said in a recent interview that he considered himself a better quarterback than the Chiefs superstar because of his football “IQ.”
Doucette’s bold claims caught the attention of Mahomes, who appeared to be stunned.
Patrick Mahomes (right) hits back at U.S. flag football quarterback Darrell ‘Housh’ Doucette (left)
Tweeting a clip of Doucette’s statement, Mahomes shared a GIF of rapper 50 Cent saying, “Why you f–king with me?”
“At the end of the day, I feel like I’m better than Patrick Mahomes because of my IQ of the game,” Doucette said. TMZdoubling down on previous comments.
“I know he’s the best in the NFL right now. I know he’s more accurate. I know he’s got all those intangibles. But when it comes to flag football, I feel like I know more than him.”
He added: “I’m not saying I’m a better player overall, but until I step on a 5-on-5 field, I’m going to feel that way until proven otherwise. I’m a competitor and I need to be proven wrong.”
He added to TMZ that he thinks an NFL all-star team would lose to his Team USA, which won the 2021 World Games.
He added that NFL players should not be “entitled” to a spot on the Olympic team.
“We’re fans of these guys,” he continued. “…But we don’t want to be forgotten because we’re the ones who helped get this game to where it is.”
The flag game is played on a shorter, narrower field and features only five players on each side, while many of the highlight reels Doucette posted a story online showing him running from his pocket instead of passing.
Regardless, he just wants himself and his teammates to have a fair chance at making the Olympic team.
“I love the fact that (NFL players) want to play and they want to go out and compete,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we want the same process we’ve had for playing: We have to prove ourselves. And so do they.”
He added that NFL players should not be “entitled” to a spot on the Olympic team.
“We’re fans of these guys,” he continued. “…But we don’t want to be forgotten because we’re the ones who helped get this game to where it is.”
Mahomes isn’t the only NFL star to have expressed interest in representing Team USA in 2028 games, with Tyreek Hill and even the retired Rob Gronkowski on board. Meanwhile, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts also appeared in a post-Paris promotional video.
Doucette, seen in 2018, believes his US team would beat a team of NFL players in flag
But Doucette, who led the United States to 2021 world championship glory, criticized those players for being “disrespectful” in assuming they could join the Olympic team because of their high profiles.
“I think it’s disrespectful that they automatically assume they can make the Olympic team just because of who they are,” she said.
‘They didn’t help this game grow to the Olympics.
‘Let’s give respect to the guys who helped get this game to where it is.’