https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/tom-brady-nfl-players-and-coaches-to-take-part-in-flag-football-event-in-saudi-arabia-232510628.html
Tom Brady apparently still had an itch to play competitive football, and he plans to scratch it with flag football.
The seven-time Super Bowl winner announced on Monday that he will play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, an exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia. The event is scheduled during Riyadh Season, taking place at Kingdom Arena on March 21, 2026.
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Brady, 48, is “coming out of retirement” to play with current NFL stars including Saquon Barkley, Maxx Crosby, CeeDee Lamb, Myles Garrett, Tyreek Hill, Sauce Gardner and Christian McCaffrey, in addition to Brady’s former teammate Rob Gronkowski and Odell Beckham Jr. Three teams will play in the round-robin tournament, coached by Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan.
The event will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Tubi, and hosted by comedian Kevin Hart.
Brady announced the event in a press conference with promoter Turki Alalshikh before Monday’s NFL game between the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders, with whom the Fox broadcaster holds a minority ownership stake.
“I’ve been very lucky over a long period of time to play football all over the world,” Brady said. “I played in Germany, I played in the U.K. several times, I played in Mexico and the fans everywhere have brought so much energy and passion for the game of football.”
“I’ve always admired the power of flag football, the fastest-growing sport in the world, and how it connects fans of all ages” he added. “I want to help continue the global movement and momentum that our game is having.”
The round-robin tournament will follow similar rules that flag football will play by in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Games will be played on a 50-yard field with two 10-yard end zones and teams of five players each. Each half will be 20 minutes long.
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“I will be bringing home the trophy,” Brady boasted.
Several NFL players have expressed interest in playing flag football in the Olympics and in May, the league gave approval for its athletes participating.
NFL players, coaches and broadcast partners teaming up for a football event in Saudi Arabia could also indicate another step toward the nation’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) eventually acquiring an ownership stake in an NFL franchise. While some are skeptical that the NFL would welcome foreign ownership by a sovereign wealth fund, the PIF has purchased a primary ownership in Newcastle United and partnered with the PGA, while establishing relationships with Formula 1, horse racing and WWE.
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As one team executive told Yahoo Sports’ Charles Robinson, the money involved could ultimately become too large to ignore.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/tom-brady-nfl-players-and-coaches-to-take-part-in-flag-football-event-in-saudi-arabia-232510628.html
