Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Maxx Crosby, and Rob Gronkowski are set to take part in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic scheduled for March 21 in Riyadh.
LAS VEGAS — Tom Brady announced his participation in a three-team flag football tournament in Saudi Arabia next year alongside current and former NFL stars. The seven-time Super Bowl champion and Fox Sports analyst made this announcement on Monday.
The event, known as the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, will be held on March 21 at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. Joining Brady will be Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Maxx Crosby, and Rob Gronkowski, among others.
Las Vegas’ Pete Carroll, Denver’s Sean Payton and San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan will be the coaches.
Brady is teaming up with Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority, to help publicize the event. The tournament will be broadcasted by Fox Sports, with comedian Kevin Hart serving as the host.
Brady, who is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, mentioned, “It’s a multi-year effort. We’re kicking things off on a high note. All eyes are on this first year since it’s unprecedented. The players I’ve spoken with are eager to participate. Considering the upcoming Olympics in 2028, it’s the NFL players’ initial encounter with it, and I didn’t want to miss the chance to be involved.”
Flag football is set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles Games in three years. While many NFL players are anticipated to be part of the U.S. team, USA Football is also considering talent from outside America’s top football league.
Alalshikh, who attended Monday’s news conference with Brady, already was in Las Vegas because he was among the promoters of Terence Crawford’s upset victory over Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium.
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.’ I love to compete. I love to run around. I run routes every once in a while as well. It’s always going to be in my blood because I’ve been doing it my whole entire life. It brings joy out of me.”
