Tom Brady set to come out of retirement in shock move three years since ending NFL career

Seven-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Tom Brady is coming out of his retirement and will once again be playing football.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Brady will once again be playing football - but not quite returning to the NFL.

Brady will join current NFL stars Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, Maxx Crosby, Sauce Gardner, and Myles Garrett to compete in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic - a competitive flag football tournament taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on March 21, 2026.

In addition to Brady, his former New England Patriots teammate and fellow retired football star Rob Gronkowski will also be competing.

Las Vegas Raiders coach Pete Carroll, Denver Broncos coach Sean Payton, and San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan will be in charge of the three teams.

It's the first competitive football that Brady will be playing in since he announced his retirement in February of 2023.

The legendary NFL star hung up his helmet and pads for the final time after being eliminated from the playoffs in the NFC Wild Card round for the 2022 season. 

But now, Brady is set to be playing once again in an event sponsored by Fanatics - the company run by his longtime friend Michael Rubin.

Brady announced his participation during a press conference held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas - home of the team he has a partial ownership stake in, the Las Vegas Raiders.

'I've been very lucky over a long period of time to play football all over the world,' said Brady, joined by Saudi royal family member Turki Alalshikh.

'I've played in Germany, I've played in the UK several times, I've played in Mexico, and the fans everywhere have brought so much energy and passion for the game of football. and it made the experience special for everyone involved, I can remember those games as if they were yesterday

'I've always admired the power of flag football, the fastest growing sport in the world, and how it connects fans of all ages. And I want to help continue the global movement in momentum that our game is having.'

He concluded: 'This is a first of its kind round-robin tournament that will expose even more fans to our great game while bringing them face to face with some of the biggest stars... There are already NFL games in different countries around the world, and flag football is going to be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. So this is an important time to continue taking the game to new places.'

When asked about the prospects for his return, Brady said he's looking forward to 'Get[ting] 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.'

The event will be aired on Fox Sports and Tubi and will follow Olympic-style flag football rules. Teams will play on a 50-yard field with two 10-yard end zones, with a 5-on-5 format and two 20-minute halves.