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Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady confirmed that his longtime former teammate Rob Gronkowski will once again be on his team during his return to football.
Brady confirmed that Gronkowski, his tight end for 11 seasons on the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be on his team during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, which will take place during Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia on March 21, 2026.
“I would never go against him,” Brady said of Gronkoski in an exclusive statement to Page Six on Tuesday (September 16).
Brady and Gronkowski will come out of retirement to play along with Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, New York Jets cornerback Ahmad 'Sauce' Garner and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, as well as others, sources with knowledge of the event confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Monday.
“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," Brady said in a statement obtained by USA TODAY.
The three teams will be coached by Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton and San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. The Fanatics Flag Football Classic will be held ahead of the sport making its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with NFL players approved to play in the Olympic event.
"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 incredibly skilled athletes," Brady added in the statement. "I’m looking forward to partnering with Turki Alalshikh, Fanatics, OBB Media, my team at Shadow Lion and my friends at FOX Sports to showcase some fierce competition. And I will be bringing home the trophy."
Brady, who is currently FOX Sports' lead NFL analyst and a minority owner of the Raiders, retired as the NFL's all-time passing leader for yards (84,520) and touchdowns (624), as well as quarterback wins (243), among numerous other records. The San Mateo native spent his first 20 seasons with the Patriots, leading the franchise to an NFL record six Super Bowl championships (tied with the Steelers), before joining the Buccaneers as a free agent in March 2020, which resulted in Tampa Bay winning its second Super Bowl in franchise history, becoming the first NFL team to win a Super Bowl in its home stadium, in February 2021.
Gronkowski, who retired in 2022 and is also part of FOX Sports' NFL coverage on its award-winning FOX NFL SUNDAY pregame show, ranks third all-time among tight ends in touchdown receptions (92), sixth in receiving yards (9,286) and 10th in receptions (621).