Chargers fans hold their breath as Derwin James suffers an injury
Derwin James had an injury scare ahead of the Flag Football Classic this week.
Tom Brady's Fanatic Flag Football Classic is set to take place this Saturday in Los Angeles, and the event will feature several current and former NFL stars in competitive flag football action alongside the US National Flag Football team, which is set to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. One current NFL player set to compete at the event was Derwin James Jr. of the Chargers.
Still, on Thursday evening, an announcement sent concern through the franchise's fan base: Fanatics said he would miss the event after suffering a "minor injury" earlier in the week before reporting to the Flag Football Classic. Derwin James suffered a minor injury earlier in the week prior to reporting to the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. As a precaution, 6x Pro Bowler Harrison Smith will step in for Wildcats FFC.
pic. twitter. com/vI2XQFbnzV ā Fanatics (@Fanatics) March 19, 2026 Neither the exact nature of the injury nor how it was suffered was disclosed in the announcement.
However, the wording suggests it did not occur during any activities related to the Flag Football Classic. Based on the initial reports, it also doesn't appear to be anything significant. James, a former first-round NFL Draft pick in 2018, has been a consistent starter for the Chargers since his rookie season, but he did miss all but five games of the 2019 season and the entirety of the 2020 season due to injury issues.