Tom Brady has caused quite a stir in America after announcing his return from retirement, with the possibility of his participation in the 2028 Olympic Games suddenly emerging.
It was announced on Tuesday that Tom Brady will return to the field in 2026, but not in the NFL.
Instead, the 48-year-old American football legend will participate in a global flag football competition – a sport set to debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
What’s the gossip?
Brady will join a host of Super Bowl champions at the “Fanatics Flag Football Classic” in Saudi Arabia, as part of the Riyadh Season – a month-long sports festival.
Games will be played under rules similar to Olympic standards: five-on-five, on a 50-yard (46-meter) field, with two 20-minute halves.
Will Tom Brady play at the Olympics?
Brady, a California native, has openly considered the idea of representing the USA at the Los Angeles Games on multiple occasions.
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, Brady stated he would “love” to be part of the US flag football team, reaffirming his ambitions in June and hinting at his eagerness to return.
“I’m still very competitive,” Brady said in June.
“If you put a ball in my hands, watch out. That feeling is still there. It will never go away. They almost have to tame me. They have to put me in a cage when I’m near a football field.”
And talks of a potential Olympic appearance grew even louder on Tuesday.
In an interview with The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, when asked if he wanted to be part of the 2028 US flag football team, Brady hinted it was a real possibility, depending on his performance at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.
“We’ll see,” Brady said.
“Let’s see how this game goes.”
This announcement and his response to the question sparked euphoria among American fans, whose dream of seeing him in a USA jersey at the Olympics is now very much alive.
“Tom Brady will dominate flag football at the Olympics,” one fan wrote on platform X.
“Maybe I’m overreacting, but Tom will absolutely try to play flag football for the USA at the LA 2028 Olympics,” added Jeff Lowe of Barstool Sports.
USA Football is responsible for the Olympic selection process, which will primarily involve national team tryouts, with the chosen roster then requiring NFL approval.
While many find it unrealistic for Brady to play quarterback for the US flag football team at 51, it increasingly seems like a genuine possibility.
Representing his country at the Olympics would be a unique opportunity for Brady, and also an incredible promotion for the sport on the world stage.
Brady first retired from the NFL on February 1, 2022, but returned to play for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just 40 days later, on March 13, 2022.
Then, in February 2023, he announced his second retirement, which he declared was “for good,” after his first losing season.
This came a year after he threw for a career-high 5,316 yards in his 22nd NFL season.
Nevertheless, he will once again come out of retirement for next year’s flag football tournament.
He is widely considered the greatest player to ever play in the NFL.
