The push for safer forms of America’s favorite sport—football—has led to the rise of flag football across the country. In fact, flag football has become so popular that it has been added to the list of new sports being introduced at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and NFL players will be allowed to participate. But we’ll actually see big-time flag football well before that. And none other than Tom Brady will be taking part.
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On Monday, Brady revealed he would be participating in a first-of-its-kind flag football tournament in the capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh. The nation is known for throwing its oil money at new sporting ventures, and this seems no different.
To get the wealthy Brady back on the field, they would have had to throw a lot of money at him. And if estimates from Boston radio hosts such as Greg Hill are any indication, it was nothing short of a boatload.
“How much Tom Brady is being paid to go and play flag football? Whitney and Courtney believe it is north of $50 million,” Hill said on the show, before Coco (a.k.a. Courtney Cox Dettore) added,
“I think lowest, $100 million. Think of it this way. How much did LIV offer Tiger Woods to play for the league? A billion. So you wanna take a season with LIV and then cut it down to a tournament. Tom Brady is the Tiger Woods of football.”
Tom Brady playing flag football? He getting paid? If so, how much?? Coco: "I think lowest 100 million"
Is this a precursor to Olympics?
Greg: "Can he get his hair done when he's over there?" @WEEI pic.twitter.com/n5dxwnjGUx— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) September 16, 2025
Coco was referring to the massive deal the Saudi-owned LIV Golf offered to Woods, though it was slightly lower than they said there, between $700 to $800 million. And the Saudis have done it in other sports as well, most notably in soccer.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed a two-year deal worth nearly $700 million to play in the Saudi league. With those deals in mind, that seemingly insane price tag on a savvy businessman like Brady is not so far-fetched. For what it’s worth, Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy also suggested the number would be $75 million.
Brady, for his part, made a statement during the MNF broadcast on his return to the gridiron (kinda) and his burgeoning interest in the game of flag football and how it can grow the game globally.
“It felt like the perfect time for me to hit the field again and get my competitive juices flowing… I’ve always admired the power of flag football, the fastest-growing sport in the world, and how it connects fans of all ages. I want to help continue the global movement and momentum that our game is having.”
The Saudi flag football round robin tournament—called ‘The Fanatics Flag Football Classic’—will take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh on March 21, 2026. It will feature three teams of NFL players and other athletes and celebrities going head-to-head.
Those already confirmed include Brady’s old teammate and fellow retiree Rob Gronkowski. It will also include current players Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Brock Bowers, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, and Odell Beckham Jr, among others to be confirmed.
