4 Takeaways from the Fanatics Flag Football Classic Draft

Tom Brady is back in game mode. At the Fanatics Flag Football Classic draft held Wednesday on the second floor ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria, the seven-time Super Bowl winner and FOX Sports Lead NFL Analyst was back in his element. He needled Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels for his slight frame, co-host Kevin Hart for his diminutive size and anyone else within earshot as he looks forward to competing again. The draft set up the three-team flag football event at BMO stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, with coverage starting at 4 p.m. ET on FOX, FOX One and Tubi. Loaded with current and former NFL stars, the three-team tournament features Team Founders and Team Wildcats as well as Team USA, the reigning world champion in flag football. “I love having Team USA involved because I think they’re going to bring out the best in us,” Brady told me. “I’m just excited to see a little bit of the competitive juices flowing and see what’s going on with this great experience.” Here are my takeaways from Wednesday’s draft. 1. Brady’s Team Founders FFC leans on Super Bowl experience Brady and his fellow captain, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, selected four other players with Super Bowl rings: Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, former All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and three-time All-Pro linebacker Von Miller. The rest of the roster includes Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, four-time Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs, Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Bills safety Damar Hamlin, former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson and boxer Terence Crawford. “I really like the way the team came together,” Brady said. “It’s a good match of youth and skill. This game is going to be about lateral agility. And we’ve got some pretty good ones.” 2. Can Team USA Football compete with NFL talent? At the draft, Brady and the other NFL players had a healthy back and forth with members of Team USA’s flag football team, who want to prove their worth. After all, there’s the potential of NFL players playing flag football in the Los Angeles Olympics in two years. According to the oddsmakers, Brady’s team has an uphill battle. Team USA debuted as the favorite at Fanatics Markets with an implied probability of 45% to win the tournament (+120), followed by Team Wildcats, which features Daniels, Bengals QB Joe Burrow and Eagles RB Saquon Barkley, at 38% (+160). Brady’s Founders are at 32% (+210). [Fanatics Flag Football Classic Team Rosters] The games will follow modified Olympic-style flag football rules, featuring two, 15-minute halves with a running clock on a 50-by-25-yard field. All three teams will meet in a round-robin tournament, with the top two teams advancing to the championship. “When you’re an NFL player, you realize there’s a lot of contact,” Brady told me when asked about facing Team USA. “It’s nice that you can talk a lot of smack and not worry about somebody hitting you in the back of the head. So, it’s going to be on.” 3. Commanders quarterback Daniels excited to play in his hometown The NFL Rookie of the Year in 2024, Daniels had his second season cut short due to a dislocated left elbow, so this will be the first time he’s competed since being shut down in mid-December. The L.A. native is looking forward to playing in his hometown — and to potentially play in the Olympics in two years. “We’ll see what happens in a couple years, but I love playing football,” Daniels said. “And if the opportunity presents itself, I don’t think I can turn it down.” Daniels and fellow captain and LSU product Burrow selected Barkley as the team’s first pick, followed by another Tiger in three-time Pro Bowl receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Filling out the roster for the Wildcats are receivers Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins, defensive backs Jalen Ramsey and Derwin James Jr., streamer IShowSpeed and YouTuber Logan Paul. 4. Logan Paul wants all the smoke Speaking of Paul, he made a dramatic entrance, taking the stage as if entering a boxing ring, and later exchanged words with Gronkowski and Brady. “Logan picked a fight with [Browns star edge] Myles Garrett, and that was the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” Brady joked on stage. The WWE star threatened to tackle Brady during the game and challenged any NFL player to a boxing match, saying he would put $1 million on the line. “There is not a single NFL player who can beat me in a boxing match,” Paul said. “That is a fact. … If any of these guys want to fight me in my sport on their field this weekend, so be it. I will kick their ass.” As Brady said, it’s on.