Tom Brady plans to play alongside current and former NFL stars in a three-team flag football tournament in Saudi Arabia next year, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and Fox Sports analyst said Monday. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic on March 21 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh also will include Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Maxx Crosby, and Brady's fellow former Patriot and Buccaneer Rob Gronkowski, among others, per the AP. Las Vegas' Pete Carroll, Denver's Sean Payton, and San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan will be the coaches.
Brady is partnering with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, to promote the event. Fox Sports will televise the tournament, with comedian Kevin Hart serving as host. "It's a multiyear commitment," said Brady, a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. "Obviously, we're getting off to a good start. The first year will be kind of where everyone's attention and energy is at. It's the first time we've ever done something like this, but all the players that I've talked to are excited about playing. ... I didn't want to miss out on being a part of it."
Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Games in three years. NFL players are expected to make up a large part of the American roster, but USA Football is looking beyond the nation's most popular league as it searches for potential players. Gronkowski said Brady asked him to be part of the flag football event. "I was like, 'There's no contact, right?'" said Gronkowski, Brady's go-to tight end in New England and Tampa Bay. "I was like, 'I already did all my contact in my life. I paid my dues in that department.'"
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