Tom Brady discusses Raiders, Saudi Arabia flag football tournament

Even while wearing an immaculate, custom-made gray suit, Tom Brady looked as if he was ready to suit up for an NFL game as he stood in the end zone of Allegiant Stadium a few hours before the Raiders hosted the Chargers on “Monday Night Football.”

Those days are long over, of course. And no matter how much the seven-time Super Bowl champion wanted to help the Raiders — the team he holds a minority ownership stake in — the role he plays now is far different from the one he played as the quarterback of the Patriots and Buccaneers.

In some ways, though, it’s no less impactful. The work Brady did last offseason to reshape the club’s future will be felt for years. Without him, Pete Carroll would not be the coach, John Spytek wouldn’t be the general manager and Geno Smith would not be the quarterback.

Nevertheless, it still takes time to get used to how little he can help on game day. That’s ironic, considering it’s the setting he dominated during a 23-year career that will land him in the Hall of Fame.

“It’s interesting in the role that I’m in, like, this is probably the time where they need me the least,” Brady said. “You know, the hay in the barn, so to speak. The game plan’s been put in, and all the coaches and players are really focused.”

The role Monday essentially consisted of inspiration.

“Just being here to support the team is always very important,” he said.

New horizons

Along with supporting the Raiders, Brady, 48, was in Las Vegas to announce he was coming out of retirement to participate in a groundbreaking global flag football event in March in Saudi Arabia.

The three-team, round-robin tournament will have a heavy Raiders feel. Defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers are among NFL players participating, and Raiders coach Pete Carroll will join the Saints’ Sean Payton and the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan as coaches.

Other confirmed players include Saquon Barkley, CeeDee Lamb, Christian McCaffrey, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr. and Rob Gronkowski.

“It’s the first time we’ve ever done something like this, but all the players that I’ve talked to are excited about playing,” Brady said. “Obviously, with the Olympics coming up in 2028, I think it’s all the NFL players’ first exposure to it, and I didn’t want to miss out on being a part of it.”

Brady is teaming with Fanatics, Fox Sports, OBB Media and E. Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, to help bring football to the Middle East. The tournament will be held at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh as part of Riyadh Season.

The chance to play football one more time didn’t hurt. All the better that it is flag football and not the kind in which defensive linemen are bearing down on him.

“We all grew up playing flag football, touch football,” Brady said. “And I think, as the fastest-growing sport in the world, I love the fact that we can expand football over the world.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.