Tom Brady certainly sent the football world into a frenzy when he announced on Monday that he’ll be ‘unretiring’ to play in the Fanatics Football Classic—a flag football tournament in Saudi Arabia, come March next year. Of course, he is not alone in this venture.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, “49ers now have confirmed three players for the flag football game in Saudi Arabia: Christian McCaffery, George Kittle and Fred Warner.” Schefter added, “This brings the total so far to 10 players confirmed from seven different teams.”
Per the official press release, joining Brady and “stars across sports and entertainment” will be active NFL players CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys), Saquon Barkley (Eagles), Myles Garrett (Browns), Sauce Gardner (Jets), and Christian McCaffrey (49ers). The representatives from the two other teams of the seven are Maxx Crosby (Raiders) and Tyreek Hill (Dolphins).
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But that’s not all that the ESPN journalist had to share.
“Also, the event producers have same insurance that is used for the Pro Bowl, Olympics and other sports events involving active players that insure players and teams from losses from any potential injuries sustained during competition.” That assurance makes it easier for NFL front offices to give the green light, which was not the case earlier.
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In the same memo in which it clarified that no active player will be allowed to participate in the Brady-headlined tournament “Without prior written consent of the Club.” the league had warned that “if an NFL Player sustains an injury while participating in the Event, he is not entitled to any injury protection or any other rights related to that injury under his NFL Player Contract (‘Contract’) or the Collective Bargaining Agreement as a Football-Related Injury.” That meant that the participating NFL franchises would not be entitled to any kind of roster relief measures should a mishap come to pass.
Thankfully, that’s not the case anymore.
The 49ers have a pretty long list of injuries plaguing them at the moment, with the most significant of them being that of George Kittle. Currently placed on IR due to the hamstring injury he sustained during the game against the Seattle Seahawks, reports suggest that the earliest date of his return could be the October 12 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Since the tournament does not begin until 21 March, it’s unlikely that his participation would be affected due to the current injury.
All things said and done, the excitement is high, and CeeDee Lamb is feeling it.
CeeDee Lamb shares joy of playing with legends like Tom Brady
For Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb, this is more than just an offseason trip. “First of all, going to Saudi Arabia, that’s going to be different,” Lamb said. “Just being a part of a great group of men and being around a lot of legends and being in that friendship and camaraderie. I’m looking forward to learning and playing with a lot of guys that are great across this league.”
His tone showed excitement mixed with curiosity, because this event is unlike anything he’s been part of before. And right after his words comes the unique setup of the tournament. Instead of a simple exhibition, three teams will go head-to-head in a round-robin battle. Then, the top two squads will meet for the crown.
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But Lamb won’t be traveling alone. Apart from the players, the sidelines look stacked with Pete Carroll, Kyle Shanahan, and Sean Payton running things for the three teams of eight players each. It’s a lineup built for an All-Star feel.
At the core, this tournament is about more than entertainment. The goal is to build momentum for flag football, especially with the sport set for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. So let’s see who joins next as the event keeps getting bigger as the date creeps closer.