Tom Brady recently confirmed his participation in next year’s Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. And soon the inevitable question started being asked, even superceding the excitement: How much is the GOAT being paid to lace up his cleats again?
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Brady isn’t the only big NFL star partnering with Saudi’s General Entertainment Authority. Players like Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Maxx Crosby, and Rob Gronkowski are in for the event. So, some wild numbers about Brady’s earnings have been floating around since the announcement.
Claim: The most intriguing reveal about the money involved came from Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, who said someone had revealed to him a rumored amount. On a recent segment of Wake Up Barstool, El Presidente declared that Brady had secured “an insane bag” … $75 million to unretire and play flag football in Saudi Arabia.
Brady clapped back sarcastically on X: “Are we just picking numbers out of a hat and reporting them? While we’re breaking news… Elvis is doing the halftime show, and Babe Ruth is gonna sign some autographs,” he commented. However, Portnoy boldly doubled down, insisting, “That’s the number I was told.”
This wasn’t Portnoy’s first dig at the seven-time Super Bowl winner, either. Just last week, he labelled Brady “a money who*e,” suggesting the former QB never says no to a paycheck. Now comes the bigger question: Is there any truth to Portnoy’s claim?
Source of the Rumor: The origin of the $75 million figure traces back wholly to Portnoy’s broadcast comments and his subsequent posts on social media. No major outlets or credible reports have published anything close to confirming that Brady’s deal is worth that figure.
Verdict: The claim that Tom Brady is being paid $75 million to play flag football in Saudi Arabia is false. There is no official confirmation of such a figure. Brady himself has mocked the rumor publicly.
Are we just picking numbers out of a hat and reporting them?
While we’re breaking news… Elvis is doing the halftime show, and babe Ruth is gonna sign some autographs for fans. Also I heard Dave prefers floppy pizza. Who cares about facts right? https://t.co/1pBq2FTj49
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) September 22, 2025
That said, the speculation exists for a reason. Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has poured billions into sports, from LIV Golf to soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-breaking contract with Al Nassr.
Ronaldo’s latest contract extension, for instance, reportedly pays him £492 million ($600 million+) over two years, including bonuses, equity stakes, and perks. With that context, it’s not unrealistic to assume Brady is being handsomely compensated as the face of the NFL’s push toward global flag football.
Portnoy admitted that he and fellow Barstool personality Dan “Big Cat” Katz once turned down a $10 million Saudi offer just to attend a boxing match. If that’s what Saudi Arabia was willing to pay two media figures merely for showing up, Brady’s payout to play and promote a flagship event won’t be a meager sum.
