“I'm gonna order the gifts now, and then they're gonna sit in the closet until I speed wrap them on Christmas Eve.”
Tom Brady is unretiring (again) — but not for an NFL team.
Instead, the 48-year-old future Hall of Famer, who is now a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, announced that he’ll compete in the upcoming Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The inaugural event will take place in Kingdom Arena on March 21, 2026, according to FOX Sports.
Brady announced his involvement alongside Fanatics, FOX Spots and OBB Media ahead of the Raiders’ Monday Night Football game against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 15.
Tom Brady announces he will play a flag football tournament in Saudi Arabia with Rob Gronkowski, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, and more in 2026.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) September 16, 2025
pic.twitter.com/E99xd9ImUO
The seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback described it as the “perfect time” for him to return to the football field and said he’s excited to “get my competitive juices flowing,” per the press release.
"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. “And I will be bringing home the trophy.”
FOX Sports confirmed that the event will air live on the network — as well as Tubi — with comedian Kevin Hart serving as its host.
The announcement comes more than three years after Brady retired for the first time in February 2022.
He infamously unretired 40 days later and returned for a 23rd season — and third with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — before announcing his second retirement (for good) in February 2023, per ESPN.
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When he returns to the field in 2026, he’ll be joined by active NFL stars including Saquon Barkley, Sauce Gardner, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby and Tyreek Hill.
Brady’s former teammate Rob Gronkowski, who retired in 2022, and free agent Odell Beckham Jr. will also suit up — with more athletes from other sports expected to be announced in the coming months.
Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan will serve as coaches for the teams.
Tom Brady remains coy on involvement in 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic comes at an exciting time for one of the world’s fastest-growing sports.
According to NFL Operations, flag football “is played by everyone in more than 100 countries, not only at the youth level but at the highest levels in colleges and adult leagues across the country.”
There are currently more than 20 million players globally, per FOX Sports.
The sport will take center stage when it makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles — a historic day for American football, which has never appeared in the 130-year history of the Olympics.
After making his announcement on Sept. 15, Brady was asked if he’ll be involved in its debut (either as a player or ambassador).
“I think there’s a lot of people (who are) gonna want to be involved in the Olympics, especially because football players have never had an opportunity to do that,” he told reporters, per The Athletic.
As for his involvement, Brady said: “We’ll see. Let’s see how this game goes.”
Brady spent 20 seasons with the New England Patriots before taking his talents to Tampa Bay in 2020.
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The former sixth-round draft pick is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time with 89,214 yards, 649 touchdowns and 212 interceptions across his 23-year NFL career, per ESPN.
