The USA Flag Football team made a huge statement during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.
Team USA rolled over teams consisting of current and former NFL stars and celebrities on March 21 in Los Angeles. The national squad won its three games by a combined score of 106-44, showing the world that flag football is a different ballgame.
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Flag football makes its Olympics debut during the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Several NFL players expressed an interest in playing for the USA squad before the Fanatics event.
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According to Front Office Sports, each member of the USA Flag Football team received $100,000 for winning the championship.
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Team USA players will each receive $100,000 for winning the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.
They won all of their games by a margin of 106-44, against teams comprised of NFL players and celebrities.
(📸 via @USAFootball) pic.twitter.com/HP0wJuUGjA
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 22, 2026
USA defeated the Wildcats and Founders, teams made up of current NFL stars Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, Von Miller and Alvin Kamara, among others. Retired stars Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Odell Beckham Jr. also joined in, along with celebrities Logan Paul and iShowSpeed.
As a result of the event, USA quarterback Darrell “Housh” Doucette III, the MVP of the classic, felt vindicated. In 2023, Doucette said it was “disrespectful” that NFL players assumed they could join the USA team for the Olympics.
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“We came out this weekend with that on our mind to say hey, ‘Let’s show these guys that we are talented, that we are flag football, and not to be overlooked by anyone in the world,'” Doucette said, per The Sporting News.
Darrell Doucette said the USA Flag Football team wanted to showcase to the world the talent they have.
They did just that as they dominated squads made up of current and former NFL stars on Saturday. USA outscored the NFL squads by a combined score of 106-44 over three games. pic.twitter.com/ah2UTAxCBY
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 22, 2026
The current USA squad has won six of the past seven International Federation of American Football world championships.
Brady, who helped organize the event, gave the USA team credit.
“Really happy for the USA flag team,” he said, per Yahoo Sports. “They did a great job. Really, they got a lot of talented, humble kids. And they did a great job. Really well coached.”