The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, the groundbreaking global event from Fanatics Studios, Tom Brady and FOX Sports, has its full participants for its inaugural event, and as promised, some of the best in the NFL will be playing at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on March 21.
The game was originally scheduled to be played at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but it was officially announced Monday that it would be moving to L.A. amid ongoing military operations in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel, Iran and others.
BMO Stadium, the host site for flag football in the 2028 Olympics, will play host to Brady’s return to a football field for the first time since his 2023 retirement, but also feature some of the best in the game.
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As Fanatics announced the relocation, a newly structured, first-of-its-kind competition format was also revealed: three 12-player teams, two of which are comprised of NFL stars. The final team will be represented by USA Football’s reigning IFAF Flag Football World Champion men’s national team.
The first team, Founders FFC, will be captained by Brady and Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts, while being coached by the Denver Broncos’ Sean Payton. Then, Wildcats FFC will feature Washington Commanders young star Jayden Daniels and savvy Cincinnati Bengals veteran signal caller Joe Burrow, who will be coached by the San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan.
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Also, Robert Saleh, who just took over for the Tennessee Titans, will serve as a defensive specialist for both teams in the event.
Making this event more fun is the fact that Founders FFC and Wildcats FFC will have a draft on March 18 to determine the 12-man teams. And the full player pool has been released:
– Running Backs: Saquon Barkley (Eagles), Alvin Kamara (Saints), Ashton Jeanty (Raiders)
– Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: Davante Adams (Rams), Odell Beckham Jr. (FA), Stefon Diggs (FA), Rob Gronkowski, DeAndre Hopkins (FA), Kyle Juszczyk (49ers), Deebo Samuel (FA), DeVonta Smith (Eagles)
– Linebackers/Defensive Backs: Myles Garrett (Browns), Derwin James Jr. (Chargers), Luke Kuechly (Hall of Fame Class of 2026), Tyrann Mathieu, Von Miller (FA), Jalen Ramsey (Steelers)
Rounding out the teams will be world-class athletes and entertainers: Logan Paul, IShowSpeed, and Terrence “Bud” Crawford.
The U.S. men’s national team is one that Brady can’t wait to see compete up close and personal.
“Having Team USA as the third team in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic elevates the already world-class talent participating in this tournament,” the legendary quarterback said in a statement. “I’m fired up to see how these teams stack up, and the fact that we’ll be playing in the same stadium that will host flag football during the Olympics will show the world a preview of what’s to come in 2028. But I’m not coming back to the football field to lose. That’s for damn sure.”
The men’s national team is as follows:
– Aamir Brown: DB/WR/Captain
– Darrell “Housh” Doucette III: QB/ATH
– Isaiah Calhoun: DB/WR
– Nico Casares: QB
– Mike Daniels: DB/WR
– Laval Davis: WR/Rusher
– Tyler Davis: WR/DB
– Velton Brown Jr.: WR/DB
– Ja’Deion High: WR/DB
– Jamie Kennedy: DB/WR
– Shawn Theard Jr.: Rusher/WR
– Laderrick ‘Pablo’ Smith: WR/QB
The Flag Football Classic has also added two members of the Class of 2026 Pro Football Hall of Fame — Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald – who will serve as commissioners for the event.
The Flag Football Classic will air live on FOX Sports, FOX One and Tubi from 4-8:30 p.m. ET on March 21, while Fanatics will stream the event internationally on its YouTube channel. Actor and comedian Kevin Hart will serve as the host of the event, with comedian Druski providing commentary alongside him.
The games will follow modified Olympic-style flag football rules, which feature two 15-minute halves with a running clock on a 50-by-25-yard field. It will be five against five, with each team facing each other in a round-robin format before the two top teams advance to the championship.
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