March 21st might need to be officially declared National Joe’s Day. Oops, that’s already a thing, March 27, 2026 is National Joe Day. But from now on in the name of Pablo Smith, Darrell “Housh” Doucette, and the men of Team USA, I am going to start my celebration on March 21st.
Why? Because on that day a group of guys that most fans had never heard of walked onto a field and beat the living heck out of NFL Hall of Famers, celebrities, and current NFL stars. And they didn’t just win. They dominated.
Tom Brady.
Jayden Daniels.
Jalen Hurts.
Odell Beckham Jr.
Alvin Kamara.
Rob Gronkowski.
Even a sideline that included brilliant football minds like Sean Payton, Kyle Shanahan, and Robert Saleh couldn’t save the NFL’s side from what happened next.
Those everyday players, the guys who probably had to go to work the next morning, mercy-ruled a team full of superstars on national television.
And the message was loud and clear.
The NFL doesn’t automatically win at flag football just because the NFL is the NFL.
If the league wants to seriously compete with the USA Flag Football team, it has to respect the sport and approach it differently.
The NFL Has to Learn the Game
What we learned yesterday is simple: flag football is not tackle football without the tackling.
It is an entirely different sport.
To even compete with the USA team, the NFL would have to learn the nuances of the game and select the right type of athletes. The traditional NFL approach simply does not work.
Take the pass rush, for example.
In the NFL, pass rushers are usually massive athletes like Von Miller, explosive edge defenders who overpower offensive linemen.
That approach means nothing in flag football.
The best rushers in flag football are speed demons, players who can explode into space and close quickly without needing to fight through blocks.
Think players built like:
- Kyler Murray
- Rashid Shaheed
- Tyreek Hill (when healthy)
- Jaylen Waddle
- DeVon Achane
- Xavier Worthy
- KaVontae Turpin
- Alontae Taylor
Those types of athletes would be terrifying rushers in flag football because of their acceleration and ability to change direction instantly.
The Quarterback Prototype Changes Too
Interestingly enough, the same type of athlete that excels as a rusher can also thrive at quarterback.
The best flag football quarterbacks tend to fall into two categories.
The first is the elite mobile playmaker.
Players like:
- Kyler Murray
- Jayden Daniels
- Lamar Jackson
These quarterbacks can escape pressure, extend plays, and create chaos in open space.
The second type is the savvy improvisational quarterback, the guy who understands angles, deception, and timing.
Think:
- Patrick Mahomes
- Caleb Williams
- Baker Mayfield
These quarterbacks manipulate defenders and create throws that don’t exist in traditional offensive structure.
Even Tom Brady, who played in the event, showed flashes that the mental side of his game could translate well to flag football if surrounded by the right personnel.
Where the NFL Could Truly Dominate
There are several positions where the NFL could absolutely overwhelm Team USA if they approached the roster correctly.
Cornerback.
Wide receiver.
Safety.
But the key word across all three positions is speed.
The NFL cannot approach these positions the traditional way.
It needs:
- The fastest corners
- The fastest safeties
- The fastest hybrid defenders
Players who can cover space, close quickly, and react instantly.
Flag football is about range and quickness, not size and physicality.
No More Celebrity Spots
Another lesson from March 21 is that this cannot be treated like a celebrity exhibition.
If the NFL wants to compete, it cannot dilute the roster with personalities.
That means no more:
- Logan Paul
- iShowSpeed
- Bud Crawford
Those appearances may make for entertaining television, but they come at a competitive cost.
If the NFL wants to avoid being embarrassed again, it has to field its absolute best athletes.
Youth and Explosion Are the Answer
Seeing some of the legends on the field was still incredibly cool.
Fans loved watching players like:
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Alvin Kamara
- Rob Gronkowski
- DeAndre Hopkins
All of them showed that their talent still translates.
If Gronk had not gotten hurt, he might have been an absolute nightmare matchup in that environment.
But even with those legends, the NFL still needs to lean heavily on young explosive athletes.
Imagine a roster filled with players like:
- Travis Hunter
- Zay Flowers
- Malik Nabers
- Chris Olave
Instead of an aging tight end, you could even swap in someone like Kyle Pitts, who has the size of Gronk but the speed to thrive in open space.
That combination of youth, speed, and creativity would make the NFL far more dangerous.
The Scheme Has to Change Too
Personnel is only half the battle.
The NFL also made strategic mistakes that cannot happen again.
One of the biggest was sending only one rusher when the offense had two quarterbacks.
That simply does not work.
Against a dual-quarterback offense, a single rusher gives the offense too much time and too many options.
On offense, the NFL also ignored one of the biggest advantages flag football offers.
Space.
Defenses are often giving up short completions.
The correct strategy is to take those short gains repeatedly.
With players faster than Alvin Kamara, those quick passes can easily turn into explosive plays after the catch.
Flag football rewards precision, rhythm, and speed, not hero ball.
The “Redeem Team” Lesson
The NBA went through something very similar years ago.
When the United States began losing international basketball games in the early 2000s, it shocked the sports world.
The response was the legendary Redeem Team.
It wasn’t called the Redeem Team because American players kept winning.
It was called that because the NBA realized something important:
They had stopped taking the competition seriously.
They believed they could simply show up and win because they were NBA players.
Instead, the world caught up and started beating them.
So USA Basketball recalibrated.
They selected the right players, built the right roster, and approached international competition with respect.
The NFL’s Problem Is Even Worse
But here’s the twist.
The NFL is not losing to the world.
They are losing to the Joes.
The guys who once said they could beat NFL players in flag football and were laughed at for even suggesting it.
Those same guys walked onto the field on March 21 and mercied a team that included:
- Tom Brady
- Jayden Daniels
- Jalen Hurts
- Odell Beckham Jr.
- Alvin Kamara
- Rob Gronkowski
And yes, even Cardi B’s baby daddy.
All on national television.
So Happy National Joe’s Day
March 21 sould be that start of your National Joe Day Celebration, but it’s no longer about Coffee or people named Joe. March 21st is the day when the guys who had to clock in to work the next morning stepped onto a field and humbled some of the biggest names in sports.
And if the NFL wants revenge next time, the formula is clear.
Respect the sport.
Build the right roster.
Bring the fastest players alive.
Because if they don’t…
The Joes will be waiting again.
