Skip to content
Eagles

Jalen Hurts named co-captain, DeVonta Smith added to Fanatics flag football event in LA

Hurts will act as co-captain for Founders FFC alongside seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady.

Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith will take their talents to the flag football field, along with teammate Saquon Barkley, on March 21.
Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith will take their talents to the flag football field, along with teammate Saquon Barkley, on March 21. Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, which was originally planned to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on March 21, will now be hosted at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The event, which was planned by Tom Brady and Fanatics, will feature a star-studded lineup of NFL stars, including some of Philly’s favorites: Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and DeVonta Smith.

Players will be divided into three 12-member teams that will compete in a round-robin tournament. Two of the teams will feature a roster of current and former NFL players and elite global athletes. The third team will be represented by USA Football’s reigning IFAF flag football world champion, the U.S. men’s national team.

“Having Team USA as the third team in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic elevates the already world-class talent participating in this tournament,” Brady said in a news release. “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.”

This will be the first time Brady has competed on the field since his 2023 retirement. Brady and Hurts will act as co-captains for Founders FFC, which will be coached by Sean Payton. Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow will be co-captains of Wildcats FFC and coached by Kyle Shanahan.

On March 18, the captains will draft their 12-player teams from a pool of current and former athletes, including: Barkley, Smith, Ashton Jeanty, Alvin Kamara, Davante Adams, Odell Beckham Jr., Stefon Diggs, Rob Gronkowski, DeAndre Hopkins, Kyle Juszczyk, Myles Garrett, Derwin James Jr., Luke Kuechly, Tyrann Mathieu, Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, and Deebo Samuel.

Streamer iShowSpeed, WWE Superstar and podcaster Logan Paul, and former boxer Terrence “Bud” Crawford will round out the rosters for Founders FFC and Wildcats FFC.

Ahead of flag football’s Olympics debut in Los Angeles in 2028, each team will follow Olympic-style rules, with players competing in five-on-five on a 50-yard field for two 20-minute halves.

The event will be hosted by Philadelphia native Kevin Hart and will be broadcast by Fox Sports.