The inaugural inclusion of flag football at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles might convince Tom Brady to come out of retirement — again.
Brady, 47, was asked if he’s felt any urge to represent Team USA since the sport was announced as an addition to the upcoming Games.
“I’m still very competitive,” Brady told Complex Sports on Wednesday, June 4. “If you put a football in my hand, then watch out. Because that’s still in there. That’s never going to go away.”
Flag football was officially announced as an Olympic sport in October 2023, eight months after Brady retired from the NFL for good.
“They almost need to tame me,” Brady continued. “They need to put me in a cage when I get around a football field.”
When Brady was told flag football will be 5-on-5 instead of the more traditional 7-on-7 format, he said, “It doesn’t matter what it is.”
Last month, NFL owners voted at the Spring League Meeting to allow NFL players to play flag football in the Olympics.
Each country’s team will consist of 10 players and games will take place on a 50-yard field. Women’s flag football will also be included at the 2028 Summer Olympics under the same guidelines.
While Brady might consider representing his country at the Games, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was not quite as enthused.
“I’ll probably leave that to the younger guys,” Mahomes, 29, told reporters May 29. “I’ll be a little older by the time that thing comes around.”
Mahomes will be 32 years old at the start of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Brady will be 50.
While Mahomes might be on the sidelines, other current NFL players gushed about the potential opportunity to participate.
“Flag football players may be upset at me for this, but yes, I would absolutely love it,” Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones told ESPN last month. “Every other sport gets an opportunity to win a gold medal, and if you’re not serving your country in the military, I feel like that’s the other highest honor that you can represent your country in.”
Jones’ teammate, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, said the idea of playing in the Olympics is one he will “have to weigh in a little bit.”’
“It’s three years from now, it’s three whole seasons that I’m going to have to go through,” Jefferson, 25, told ESPN. “Of course, getting older, body is going to be different, but that’s definitely always been a dream. It’s always been something I always wanted to do, compete for your country versus all of the other countries in the rest of the world.”
