Brady, Burrow headline star-studded Fanatics Flag Football Classic Draft in Beverly Hills

The road to the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic officially began Wednesday night with a star-powered draft at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, where NFL superstars, entertainers and global athletes gathered to assemble teams for one of the most anticipated new events on the sports calendar.

Hosted by Kevin Hart and Druski, the lively draft featured plenty of banter, highlighted by Tom Brady playfully jawing with Logan Paul as the two landed on opposing teams ahead of Saturday’s tournament at BMO Stadium.

Brady, making his return to the football field for the first time since retiring in 2023, will captain the Founders alongside Jalen Hurts. Across the draft floor, Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels headlined the Wildcats.

The Founders roster is stacked with firepower, including Alvin Kamara, Stefon Diggs, Rob Gronkowski and Von Miller, while the Wildcats countered with Saquon Barkley, Odell Beckham Jr., Davante Adams and DeAndre Hopkins. The mix of elite NFL talent and crossover stars — from boxing champion Terence Crawford to internet personality IShowSpeed — underscored the event’s blend of sports and entertainment.

USA Football’s reigning IFAF Men’s National Team, which will serve as the tournament’s third team, attended the draft and quietly loomed as the group to beat. That sentiment was echoed immediately after the event, when Fanatics Markets installed Team USA as the favorite with a 45% implied probability to win the tournament. The Wildcats followed at 38%, with Brady’s Founders at 32%.

The draft itself doubled as a showcase, complete with opening remarks from Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin and Fanatics Studios CEO Michael Ratner, and a steady stream of content captured for a global audience. Players rotated through a pre-draft portrait studio wearing exclusive Oakley eyewear while guests dined on Raising Cane’s and Heavy Handed.

Beyond the spectacle, the event signaled something larger. Flag football continues to surge worldwide, with more than 20 million participants globally, and will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games — also at BMO Stadium.

Saturday’s tournament, produced by Fanatics Studios in partnership with OBB Media, Tom Brady and FOX Sports, represents an early glimpse of that Olympic future — with a Hollywood twist.

For one night in Beverly Hills, the future of football felt fast, fun and unmistakably star-driven.