Will Tom Brady Lead Team USA to Gold at the Los Angeles Olympics?

Nearly three years after retiring from the NFL, Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, will take the field again—this time in Saudi Arabia for the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic.The timing of Mr. Brady’s gridiron return is intriguing. Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games at Los Angeles. NFL owners recently approved a proposal allowing the participation of active players. That decision sparked visions of a football “Dream Team” of players like Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson and other NFL stars wearing red, white and blue, like the NBA’s iconic squad in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.Reality is complicated, which is why contracts, injuries, money, and scheduling make it unlikely the USA Flag Football team at the Olympics will turn into a de facto NFL All-Star Game. However, a retired legend like Mr. Brady could be an easy fit.Under the NFL proposal only one player per team can be selected by a country for the Olympics in addition to each team’s designated international player. There are also provisions for injury protection and minimum medical standards.Still, playing in the Olympics remains an engaging topic for current NFL players. “Our players are like every other American citizen,” David White, the interim executive director of the NFL Players Association said. So many of them would jump at the chance to represent their country.”Scheduling remains a major issue: The 2028 Olympics run from July 14-30. NFL training camps open around the final week in July. NFL teams won’t want their top stars skipping camp to flag football.Meanwhile, it might sound strange, but the services of NFL players might not be needed. The U.S. men’s flag football team has captured five straight International Federation of American Football World ChampionshipsMore plausibly, Team USA will be a blend: a few younger NFL players granted permission to compete, alongside a sprinkle of veterans and dedicated flag football specialists.Still, Mr. Brady’s connection to flag football will raise awareness. How much money the future Hall of Fame quarterback and current FOX broadcaster is being paid for participation in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic has not been confirmed. But the Saudis have spared no expense in their sports forays into golf and combat sports.Other NFL players past and present named to play in Saudi Arabia are Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Brock Bowers, and former teammate Rob Gronkowski.The three-team round-robin tournament will be coached by NFL luminaries Pete Carroll, Sean Payton, and Kyle Shanahan, with FOX Sports broadcasting the action worldwide. The competition will use the same format as the Olympics: five-on-five format on a 50-yard field.“I couldn’t be more excited to return to the field, get the competitive juices flowing alongside some of the game’s brightest stars and iconic legends, and bring a truly unique global sports event to fans everywhere during Riyadh Season,” Mr. Brady said in a statement. “I have always admired the power of flag football and how it connects fans of all ages, and it’s awesome to be able to showcase the sport on such a global stage, while joining together so many incredible skilled athletes.”Mr. Brady said his agreement with the Saudis is “multi-year commitment,” which would lead into the Olympics. “The first year will be kind of where everyone’s attention and energy is at,” he said. “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. Obviously, with the Olympics coming up in 2008, I think it’s all the NFL players’ first exposure to it. I didn’t want to miss out on being a part of it.”Neither did his former teammate, Rob Gronkowski. “I love to compete,” he said. “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.”

Will Tom Brady Lead Team USA to Gold at the Los Angeles Olympics?

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