Mar 21, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Team USA coach Jorge Cascudo and quarterback Darrell Doucette III (Housh Doucette III) hold the championship and most valuable player trophies during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic at BMO stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

In case you missed it, Team USA absolutely dominated NFL stars in flag football the other day. They beat both NFL-led teams by a combined score of 106-44. It was an unexpected taste of reality for fans, showing the differences between the two sports and that professionals aren’t simply going to walk into it and succeed. 

It was not even a contest at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic on Saturday at BMO Stadium. The Team USA flag football team first beat the Wildcats FFC, led by Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, 39-14. They then dismantled the Founders FFC, led by Tom Brady and Jalen Hurts, 43-16. Finally, in the championship, they beat the Wildcats again, 24-14. 

In reaction to the games, NFL veterans and stars couldn’t believe what they were watching.

“NFL boys are getting dominated in this Fanatics Flag Football Classic … Out of their depths, they don’t know the rules. And these Team USA flag football guys, they were the best athletes, best football players in their little league and middle school, and they just didn’t grow up. They just got faster and more athletic. They found their niche, they found their game, they found their league. This team needs to be representing America in the Olympics,” Will Compton shared in a video on his X. 

Last year, Team USA’s QB Darrell Doucette III went viral for saying that he would be a better pick for the Olympic flag football team than Patrick Mahomes. Fans laughed off the idea, wondering how he could be so arrogant. But at the Fanatics event, he stood on business and showed exactly what he was talking about. 

Clearly, the rules and intricacies between flag and tackle football are more important than we initially thought. Team USA ran unique plays that centered around speed, athleticism, and versatility. Almost everyone on the roster can run, catch, and throw the ball well. 

Robert Griffin III noted these subtle intricacies between the games. 

“Flag Football and NFL Football are different disciplines. If an NFL Player wants to represent the USA at the Olympics in 2028, they need to entrench themselves in the Flag Football world over the next 2 years,” RGIII wrote on X.

Maybe two years is a bit of an overestimation. But whoever wants to be involved with Team USA at the Olympics in 2028 will certainly need to know the different rules and strategies that the game demands. 

Micah Parsons also added his take, saying the Fanatics event cemented that NFL guys won’t be in the Olympics. “Team USA giving us belt … I guess they will be in the Olympics lol,” he  tweeted. 

At the end of the day, the event was a success. It was supposed to be used to test the feasibility of NFL players competing in the Olympics. What we learned is that a lot of them have a long way to go if they want to compete for Team USA. Especially after the dominant performance, they aren’t just going to open up a roster spot for anybody. 

This isn’t to say that some NFL players couldn’t find a spot as a valuable weapon for Team USA. Odell Beckham Jr. made a ridiculous catch in one of the games that nobody else on the face of the earth could’ve replicated. 

NFL fans just need to realize that not every professional in the sport is going to be the best representation for Team USA when it comes to flag football. But if this were tackle, there’s no doubt that the NFL guys would dominate. 

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