Inside Raiders owner Tom Brady’s latest venture with flag football

LOS ANGELES — In a brief meeting of NFL owners that doubled as a reunion, Tom Brady chatted with the New England Patriots’ Robert Kraft and posed for pictures.

Together, they captured six Super Bowl titles. On the eve of Brady’s return to the playing field in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic, Kraft attended Friday’s news conference for his former star quarterback and watched practice as well. They were joined in the photo op by Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin, who is friends with both.

Brady, the Las Vegas Raiders minority owner, has worn many hats since his retirement from playing in the NFL as he looks to replicate his on-field success in various ventures. Brady’s role as football’s ambassador leading up to the debut of flag football at the 2028 Olympics had the 48-year-old wearing a cap that represented his latest team — the Founders Flag Football Classic squad comprised of NFL stars past and present that will compete in Saturday’s 1 p.m. event.

Asked what he was most excited about in getting back on the field, he said, “Throwing touchdown passes. It’s what we do.”

While Brady is listed as a part of the Fanatics joint venture putting on the event and rosters include other Super Bowl champions and Pro Bowl players, this is his show. Naturally, it will be broadcast on Fox Sports.

It’s Brady’s face that appears on a giant banner at BMO Stadium, which became the new venue for the event originally scheduled to be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before war broke out in the Middle East.

It’s Brady who staged a feud with opposing flag player Logan Paul, a WWE wrestler, and promoted the event by traveling to New York to go on national TV shows. In the city, he also made an appearance alongside A’ja Wilson and others on Wednesday to promote a partnership with JPMorganChase on financial skills for athletes. That same night, he was in Beverly Hills, Calif., leading the flag football draft for his Founders team.

And with the first pick, there was a nod to his Raiders ownership.

Once again, Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty was selected as Brady told the crowd, “Super productive. Young. He’s technically an employee of mine. … Deuce, get up here.”

As a co-captain of the team with fellow Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, Brady will be throwing passes. Since his NFL career ended, he has stayed in shape.

“I lift all the weights,” he said. “I run. I throw a little bit. I’m throwing more in the last three months than I’ve had to.

“To continue to get out there on the field and throw a football and watch it kind of go exactly where you want, I don’t think that feeling gets old.”

Brady said that while his flag football role in 2028 won’t be on the field, he was interested in perhaps coaching or being involved in the game plan.

For now, his role at the Raiders according to owner Mark Davis has been to be in “close collaboration” with general manager John Spytek on football operations.

Contact Diamond Leung at dleung@reviewjournal.com. Follow @diamond83 on X.