Asthon Jeanty, Stefon Diggs among new additions to flag football tournament
· Yahoo Sports
The relocated flag football tournament, which has moved from Saudi Arabia to L.A. due to the war in the Middle East, has added more participants.
Visit sportnewz.click for more information.
Via Sports Business Journal, Fanatics announced the full roster of players earlier this week.
In addition to the active NFL players previously named (Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley), more current pro football players will take part: Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith, Saints running back Alvin Kamara, Rams receiver Davante Adams, 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., and Steelers safety Jalen Ramsey.
Several current free agents also will play: Von Miller, DeAndre Hopkins, Deebo Samuel, and Stefon Diggs.
The recent pivot to the inclusion of the U.S. men's national flag football team as one of the three teams in the tournament likely will make the tournament more competitive. The flag players will hope to show they are better suited to represent the United States in the Olympics in 2028.
That will do nothing to reduce the risk of injury associated with the event. If the free agents haven't signed by March 21, any sort of injury could complicate their effort to find a new NFL team.
And, yes, the risk of injury is lower than the risk they assume when suiting up and playing full-contact tackle football. There's still risk, as promising young NFL running back Robert Edwards once learned the very hard way.
The two teams of current and former NFL players and various non-football players will be picked from the pool of players on March 19.
Tom Brady is the ringleader of the tournament. And, as one team executive recently opined, there's no way Tom Brady would be playing in a flag football tournament if he was still playing in the NFL.
Regardless, the flag football tournament, which will be televised by Fox, could be interesting extra-screen viewing during the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.