Many were shocked to learn recently that Rajon Rondo is now the number one-rated flag football quarterback in the USA. Most remember him as a star point guard for the Boston Celtics who was one of the best passers in the league. But, apparently, his vision and passing ability have been paying dividends on the flag football field as well.
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It’s one of the most random storylines to pop up this year. After all, Rondo is 39 years old and has been out of the NBA since 2022. Yet, retirement hasn’t held him back from pursuing a new sport.
According to one of Rondo’s former teammates, Kendrick Perkins, this has always been a dream of his.
“I’m not shocked. Rondo was doing this the entire time I was on the team with him on the Boston Celtics. That was his, like, that was a dream of his,” Perkins shared on Road Trippin’.
The former NBA champion then revealed that Rondo would contemplate retiring from the NBA to pursue football at times.
“This motherf***er would come into the locker room, no cap, and say s**t like, ‘Bro, I’m serious, I might retire early to go give this NFL a shot.’ It wasn’t even a joke. He was dead serious about it,” Perkins added.
It’s a wild revelation that not many expected to hear. Rondo was always a subdued personality in the NBA, but we never considered the idea that it was because he wasn’t playing the sport he was most passionate about. Regardless, now as a flag football QB, he’s thriving.
This is probably because of Rondo’s massive hands, which help grip the football. He also always had good arm strength, which has seemed to transfer over nicely. Furthermore, his otherworldly vision and IQ have helped him diagnose defenses from the outset of plays, allowing him to see open receivers that not many would think to find.
Additionally, Perkins said that Rondo is most likely going all out in his pursuit of being a flag football star.
“He’s set up flag football games, like, this has been a passion of his… He’s probably watching film. In the huddles, he’s to the tea. He’s for sure got a quarterback coach. Anything Rondo does, he’s going to put his all into it. He’s a competitor.”
Later on in the podcast, Perkins’ co-host, Richard Jefferson, added a good point. He shared that he, too, always wanted to play football, but the injuries scared him away. So, from that perspective, he can understand why Rondo has taken a liking to flag football, because it’s essentially all of the fun parts of the game with fewer injuries.
All in all, it’s a super interesting story that’s picked up a ton of traction recently. And how could it not? Nobody was expecting to see Rajon Rondo as the leading US flag football QB in 2025. Let’s see if he competes in the Olympics when the sport will be brought to them for the first time in 2028.
