Odell Beckham Jr. made some of the best catches in NFL history while he was in the league. He could stick the ball to his hands almost like glue at times. At the Fanatics Flag Football Classic yesterday, he did exactly that and took a catch very reminiscent of his legendary one-handed snag against the Dallas Cowboys.
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The catch was by far the highlight of the event. While trailing Team USA 25-12 midway through the second half, Odell was targeted on a two-point try. He leaped into the air and made an insane one-handed catch over two defenders in the back of the end zone. He also toe-tapped for good measure, putting a bow on a crazy highlight.
The catch didn’t just impress the fans in attendance. Team USA’s coach, Jorge Cascudo was so impressed by the effort from Odell that he offered him a spot on the roster if he ever wanted to play flag football full-time.
“Odell is a great athlete. He made an excellent catch in that first game that was like ‘Whoa.’ I was like, hey, there’s a spot whenever you’re interested. Come talk to me, we can put you in trials, and compete,” Cascudo told reporters after the event.
WR Odell Beckham Jr. Amazingly Catches a Touchdown One-Handed From QB Jayden Daniels (Flag Football)
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Team USA ended up winning the tournament and taking home the Fanatics Flag Football Classic’s first annual trophy. They outscored the teams they played, who were led by current and former NFL players, 106-44. It was a drubbing that showed not all NFL stars are meant to compete on the flag football stage.
Odell Beckham Jr. looked the most natural of all the NFL players who took the field Saturday at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Team USA coach Jorge Cascudo says he’s got a spot for OBJ on his roster.
“He made an excellent catch in our first game, like whoa.” pic.twitter.com/DA4D3YD5r9
— teamfb (@teamfbseven) March 22, 2026
Odell’s catch aside, Cascudo offered some analysis on where he thought the NFL players struggled the most to adjust to the flag football rules.
“The hardest part is going to be DBs because of the contact … It’s non-contact. I know they got frustrated when we play them, we get frustrated sometimes, because we’re like, ‘We didn’t touch him!’ and they still call it. So, it’s some things that change for them when it comes to that. They can cover; they’ve got the speed. But it’s the contact and the flag-pulling,” Cascudo stated.
In flag football, screening, blocking, and running with a lead blocker are all considered penalties of minus 10-yards. The NFL guys had a hard time adjusting to this one on Saturday, as it’s second nature for them to block their opponents and give players space to run. Another unique rule is that defenders aren’t allowed to try to strip the ball, or else it’s a 10-yard penalty.
Meanwhile, Odell is reportedly eying an NFL return. Ahead of the Fanatics event on Saturday, he talked about hopefully getting a chance to play professionally this year.
“Looking forward to hopefully getting an opportunity to play this year, and hopefully, this is kinda just a starting point,” Odell told Kay Adams of FanDuel TV.
If an NFL return isn’t in the cards, though, Odell has a spot seemingly reserved for him on Team USA’s flag football team. It might not be the stage he wants to compete on. But it would be pretty neat to watch him compete in the Olympics in 2028.
