Team USA Flag Football Dominates NFL Stars in Fanatics Classic

Current Team USA players prove their superiority over NFL players in flag football exhibition

Mar. 22, 2026 at 2:04am

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In a series of exhibition games at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, the current members of Team USA's flag football squad handily defeated teams made up of NFL players and celebrities. Team USA routed the Wildcats, led by NFL quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, 39-14 in the first game, and then dominated Tom Brady's Founders team 43-16. The NFL players struggled to adjust to the speed, agility and rules of flag football, with commentator Greg Olsen wondering if a mercy rule was needed. Team USA's Darrell Doucette III was named MVP after scoring six touchdowns.

Why it matters

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic served as a clear message that the current members of Team USA's flag football team are the superior players and deserve to represent the country at the 2028 Olympics, where flag football will make its debut. While some NFL stars like Saquon Barkley and DeVonta Smith showed promise, the overall performance of the NFL players highlighted the skill gap between them and the experienced flag football players on Team USA.

The details

In the first game, Team USA routed the Wildcats, led by NFL quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, 39-14. In the second game, Tom Brady and the Founders tested their skills against Team USA, but were overwhelmed, falling 43-16. The NFL players struggled to adjust to the different rules and physicality of flag football, with Luke Kuechly being called for two defensive fouls in the first half. Team USA scored on 14 of their 15 drives on the day, with Darrell Doucette III scoring six total touchdowns and being named MVP.

  • The Fanatics Flag Football Classic took place on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
  • Flag football will make its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The players

Team USA

The current members of the United States national flag football team, who are the reigning IFAF Flag Football World champions.

Wildcats

A team made up of NFL players, including quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels.

Founders

A team led by NFL legend Tom Brady that competed against Team USA.

Darrell Doucette III

A member of Team USA who scored six touchdowns and was named MVP of the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.

Luke Kuechly

A recently elected Pro Football Hall of Famer who came out of retirement to play in the event, but struggled with the rules of flag football.

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What they’re saying

“Make no mistake about it. These guys might not be the biggest guys, 6'4 or 6'3. But these guys are incredibly skilled, incredibly fast and at this point in the development of the game, they just have a better understanding of flag football than the NFL guys.”

— Greg Olsen, Commentator

“My heart is hurting right now. My heart is really hurting.”

— Tom Brady

What’s next

The NFL has allowed each team to send one player to represent the United States in flag football at the 2028 Olympics, along with an additional international player. It will be interesting to see which NFL players are able to make Team USA's Olympic squad after the performance of the current Team USA members at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.

The takeaway

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic served as a clear demonstration that the current members of Team USA's flag football squad are the superior players and deserve the opportunity to represent the country at the 2028 Olympics, where flag football will make its debut. While some NFL stars showed promise, the overall performance of the NFL players highlighted the skill gap between them and the experienced flag football players on Team USA.