In September 2025, Tom Brady announced that he was coming out of retirement. Not for the NFL, but for another grand stage: The Fanatics Flag Football Classic. For the NFL legend, “It felt like the perfect time for me to hit the field again and get my competitive juices flowing.” With the first-of-its-kind round-robin tournament now complete, the NFL upset wasn’t what many expected, including former NFL player Pat McAfee.
“Why the f—k did these NFL guys sign up to play against the greatest flag football players of all time?” McAfee said in a video clip posted on X. “Our guys don’t even know the rules.”
I can’t believe these NFL guys signed up to play on TV against THE GREATEST FLAG FOOTBALL TEAM OF ALL TIME? pic.twitter.com/3myOUOlBTR
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 21, 2026
The NFL legend’s flag football event debuted on Saturday in Los Angeles, with both the NFL teams led by Tom Brady (Founders squad) and Joe Burrow (Team Wildcats) losing against the U.S. group in their opening games.
While the 7x Super Bowl winner started the day like the GOAT, he was eventually dominated by Darrell Doucette III. Brady threw a perfect touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs during his first play, and another to former Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski for the 2-point conversion.
The play gave his team an 8-0 lead over Team USA, but it all went downhill from there. Gronk went on the bench, and the squad couldn’t keep the momentum going. Similarly, Team USA also dominated the Wildcats in the championship game with a 24-14 victory.
They scored on all their possessions in all three games, except for a kneel-down before halftime. They beat their opponents 106-44, as both Velton Brown Jr. and Housh Doucette were especially dominant, and their speed and movement made it extremely difficult for the NFL players to pull their flags.
In between the losses, Brady also showed his disappointment, saying, “My heart is really hurting right now.”
The NFL players’ inexperience was on full display, as they drew more penalty flags than they pulled from their opponents. Team USA’s mastery of the game was evident throughout the event, as their control on offense and the overall speed overwhelmed the NFL players, who had only practiced a few times before the main event.
Rob Gronkowski suffered a hamstring injury during the FFC game
After suffering a hamstring injury on the opening drive, Rob was sidelined for the rest of the event. While the NFL star looked unstoppable for the short time that he played, he eventually left the field limping.
The injury came after a two-point conversion from Tom Brady on the opening drive, when he caught the ball before slipping and pulling a hamstring while getting up. During the livecast, the former Patriots star was even heard yelling about his injury.
“I just pulled it right there on the slip,” said Gronkowski. “My hammy.”
Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski
pic.twitter.com/hF1sCQgGMx
— Savage (@Savageboston) March 21, 2026
Once Rob left the field, his team, led by Tom Brady, struggled to generate offense without their tight end and ultimately lost.
With a massive win, Team USA proved its dominance in Flag Football, showing everyone why they deserve to represent America in the 2028 Olympics.
