Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski to Team Up for Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Riyadh
Brady says he 'would never go against' his longtime teammate as a star-studded flag football tournament is scheduled for March 21
Tom Brady said he and Rob Gronkowski will play on the same team at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic next March in Riyadh, a reunion of the former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates for an international exhibition.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion told Page Six that he would not oppose Gronkowski, who retired from the NFL in 2022, calling the pairing nonnegotiable. "I would never go against him," Brady said, adding that he remains competitive despite his retirement from the league in 2023 and his current role as Fox's lead NFL analyst.
The one-day event, announced Monday, is scheduled for March 21 as part of the annual Riyadh Season festival in Saudi Arabia. Fanatics founder Michael Rubin partnered with Brady, Fox Sports and OBB Media to produce the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, which will air on FOX Sports and Tubi.
Organizers said the tournament will feature three teams of eight players in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to a championship game. Games will follow Olympic-style flag football rules on a 50-yard field using a 5-on-5 format and two 20-minute halves.
A number of current and former NFL players are expected to take part, including Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill and Odell Beckham Jr. Brady told Page Six that some NFL general managers had already approached him about picking the three squads.
Brady, 48, teased the project while on the call for the Eagles-Chiefs broadcast and said the announcement was the result of work spanning a long period. He emphasized that the event will be competitive even though it is an exhibition and that he is approaching the competition seriously.
Brady and Gronkowski played 11 pro seasons together, winning multiple Super Bowls with the Patriots before reuniting in Tampa Bay. Their connection and on-field chemistry were a focal point of Brady's career, and organizers and fans may view their presence as a major draw for the new tournament.
The Fanatics Flag Football Classic follows growing interest in flag football as an international, televised sport, and the Olympic-style rule set aligns with efforts to standardize the game ahead of broader competitions. Holding the event in Riyadh continues a recent trend of high-profile sports events staged in Saudi Arabia as part of the kingdom's push to attract global entertainment and sporting spectacles.
Representatives for Brady, Gronkowski and the event declined to provide additional details about team rosters, ticketing or broadcast scheduling beyond the initial announcement. Organizers said further information about participants and format logistics would be released in the coming months.
The exhibition will test whether retired stars, current players and celebrity draws can translate traditional NFL followings into the flag football arena. For now, Brady's declaration that he and Gronkowski are a package deal sets expectations for one of the tournament's marquee teams and underscores the enduring appeal of their partnership in televised, international competition.