Los Angeles (Reuters) - Tom Brady participated in the inaugural Fanatics Flag Football Classic on March 21, 2026, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, marking his return to a football field since retiring from the NFL on February 1, 2023.[1][2]
The 48-year-old quarterback, a seven-time Super Bowl winner with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, played for the Founders FFC team alongside co-captain Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles. Brady recorded 85 passing yards and two touchdowns over two games against Team USA.[1]
In one matchup, Brady threw a touchdown pass to wide receiver Stefon Diggs, currently with the NFL's Houston Texans, followed by a two-point conversion reception by former teammate Rob Gronkowski, a retired tight end. Gronkowski exited early due to a hamstring injury.[1]
Hurts started for Founders FFC, completing passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.[1] Team USA defeated Founders FFC 43-16 in the first game and 24-14 in the championship.[1]
BMO Stadium is the home venue for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC.[5] Brady expressed disappointment after the losses, saying, "my heart is really hurting right now."[1] Prior to the event, he commented on maintaining fitness post-retirement: "Fortunately, as an athlete, your body is your asset over a period of time and you learn how to take care of it."[1]
Brady, a minority owner of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders, has served as lead game analyst for FOX Sports since the 2024 season and has shown no interest in returning to play.[1][3][4] Flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.[6]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, "Even three years removed from the game, Tom Brady looks like he could drop back and sling the pigskin for an NFL team," March 22, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports/tom-brady-flag-football-classic
- NFL.com, "Tom Brady announces retirement after 23 NFL seasons," February 1, 2023, https://www.nfl.com/news/tom-brady-announces-retirement-after-23-nfl-seasons
- Las Vegas Raiders, "Mark Davis Announces Agreement for Tom Brady to Join Raiders Ownership Group," May 10, 2023, https://www.raiders.com/news/mark-davis-tom-brady-ownership
- FOX Sports, "Tom Brady officially joins FOX Sports as its lead NFL analyst," May 12, 2023, https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/tom-brady-fox-sports-its-no-1-nfl-analyst-2024-season
- Wikipedia, "BMO Stadium," accessed October 2024, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMO_Stadium
- Olympics.com, "Flag football confirmed for LA28 after being shortlisted for Olympic Games," October 17, 2023, https://olympics.com/en/news/flag-football-la28-olympics
