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Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady will return to action for one day only next year.
As announced on Monday, the New England Patriots icons are among the confirmed participants in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. Saudi Arabia will host the three-team, round-robin tournament on March 21, 2026.
Gronkowski and Brady may reunite if they’re tabbed as teammates, but the seven-time Super Bowl champion isn’t Gronk’s top choice for a flag football quarterback.
The former tight end picked his dream flag football team on FanDuel TV’s “Up & Adams.” Gronkowski chose Ben Roethlisberger as his passer over Brady, explaining that the former Pittsburgh Steelers star’s improvisational skills would translate perfectly to the different format.
“Big Ben is just a quarterback that — a guy that you knock on his front door whenever you get home from school, and you’re like, ‘Big Ben, let’s go in the backyard and play some football,'” Gronkowski said. “He’s so good at playing that type of style when he was playing. It was kind of like streetball, and he was so good at it. Big Ben was one of my favorite quarterbacks to watch.”
Gronkowski picked former Patriots teammate Randy Moss as one of his receivers alongside Jerry Rice, Michael Irvin and Ja’Marr Chase. Despite omitting Brady from this hypothetical lineup, Gronk expects the NFL’s all-time passing leader to ball out during the Fanatics Flag Football Classic.
“Tom is gonna be on point for this game, I can tell you this right now,” Gronkowski predicted. “There’s gonna be highlights of him coming out of this game. I’m calling it right now that everyone will think and say, ‘Why isn’t Tom Brady still playing in the NFL?’
“His arm speed is gonna be elite, I can guarantee that. His accuracy is gonna be on point … His quickness, his awareness, it’s gonna be there.”
Gronkowski believes Brady’s competitive will drive the 48-year-old to make a statement while playing flag football next year.
“He wants to prove that he still has it,” Gronk said. “Kind of just like me. I’m gonna go out there, and I’m gonna prove that I still have it, too.”
