Fanatics Flag Football 2026: Tom Brady Drafts Raiders ‘Employee’ Ashton Jeanty No. 1 Overall
Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Tom Brady looks on from the sideline before the CFP National Championship college football game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Excitement around the 2028 Summer Olympics has been building for years, but few additions have generated as much curiosity as flag football’s debut on the Olympic stage. The sport’s inclusion has sparked a new kind of conversation about whether the United States could realistically assemble a full-blown NFL-style “Dream Team.
” Whether it’s drafting players for showcase events, promoting the Olympic format, or simply lending his voice to the conversation, Tom Brady continues to shape football’s future even in retirement. He may not be lining up for snaps in 2028, but his fingerprints are already all over the sport’s Olympic debut, helping guide how flag football is presented, marketed, and understood on its biggest stage yet. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic will feature three teams blending NFL talent and elite international flag players, with Brady and Jalen Hurts captaining one of the squads.
The round-robin format and championship final are designed to showcase the sport’s rapid global growth and its upcoming debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics. And the teams have already kicked off the event with the Draft. With the first overall pick, Brady and Hurts leaned into both strategy and humor.
As he prepared to announce the selection, he joked about having a bit of inside access. “He’s technically an employee of mine… You want to say his name? Deuce, get up here.
Ashton Jeanty. ” Jeanty’s reputation as a “super productive and young” playmaker makes him a natural fit to anchor Brady’s squad. For their second pick, Brady picked Hurts’ teammate and another explosive player, DeVonta “Slim” Smith.