The iconic QB–TE duo will reunite at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic on March 21, 2026, lighting up Kingdom Arena in Riyadh as part of Saudi Arabia’s splashy Riyadh Season. It’s Brady’s first sanctioned snaps since retiring in 2023 and Gronk’s favorite kind of football: the kind without hits.
Brady, 48, isn’t easing in. “I will be bringing home the trophy,” he vowed. Gronk was instantly in — with one ground rule. “There’s no contact, right? I already did all my contact in my life,” he cracked, before adding he still loves to run routes and compete. Sounds like old times: TB12 throwing darts, Gronk spiking vibes.
This isn’t an NFL production, but owners are allowing players to suit up. And the star power around Brady–Gronk is absurd: Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, CeeDee Lamb, Maxx Crosby, Sauce Gardner and Myles Garrett headline a cast that screams Pro Bowl without the bruises. Coaching royalty Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan will call the shots.
Format? Three teams of eight in a round-robin, top two to a winner-take-all final. Games follow Olympic-style rules — 5-on-5 on a 50-yard field with 10-yard end zones and two 20-minute halves — a runway to flag football’s LA28 Olympic debut.
FOX Sports will air it live with a Tubi stream; Kevin Hart hosts because of course he does. The event slots beside Riyadh Season’s run of mega-cards and future WrestleMania 43, another sign the desert has become sports’ hottest booking.
Brady and Gronk built a dynasty in New England, rewrote the script in Tampa, and now they’re chasing one more W in the most TB12–Gronk way possible: fast, fun and unapologetically competitive. No helmet? No problem. The band’s back on tour.
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