Tom Brady and a host of NFL stars have had their travel plans to Saudi Arabia later this month scrapped amid the ongoing war in the region.
Brady had been set to feature in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi on March 21 along with a host of NFL stars and celebrities. However, due to the volatile security situation in the Middle East, organizers have made the decision to move the event.
According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the event is now expected to take place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
Reports indicate the shift comes in light of recent attacks on Iran that began Saturday, causing additional air strikes in neighboring regions and strict travel restrictions.
Riyadh, where the event had been scheduled to take place, has been targeted by Iran in retaliation for the wave of attacks by the US and Israel last weekend.
While an official announcement is expected later this week, the star-studded event is still scheduled to take place on March 21.
It is expected that comedian Kevin Hart will remain on board as the host of the event, while Fox Sports and Tubi are still expected to broadcast it.
The upcoming tournament will feature three star-studded teams, including NFL icons like Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and CeeDee Lamb.
Along with the aforementioned trio, the likes of Jayden Daniels, Sauce Gardner, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Tyreek Hill, Odell Beckham Jr and retired Rob Gronkowski are all set to feature in the event.
The tournament will also feature big-name coaches like Pete Carroll, Sean Payton and Kyle Shanahan on the sidelines.
Along with the NFL stars and coaches, celebrities such as WWE star Logan Paul are expected to play in the game.
In recent weeks, Paul and Brady have traded verbal barbs ahead of the game – with the NFL great sending multiple warning shots to the influencer-turned-wrestler.
The trash-talking originally ignited during Super Bowl week when Brady dismissed Paul’s athletic credentials as ‘cute,’ suggesting the wrestler was out of his depth.
Despite a month passing since their initial exchange, Brady proved he hadn’t moved on while unloading more smack talk alongside longtime teammate Gronkowski.
Brady recently continued his feud with Logan Paul ahead of the flag football event
‘ Logan Paul is a b****. Just say he’s a b****,’ Brady told the camera. ‘Come play with the big boys. You’re lucky you won’t get hit.’
While Gronk attempted to give Paul credit as a ‘great entertainer’ and combat sports athlete, a fired-up Brady interrupted the praise to deliver a blunt assessment.
‘Logan Paul is a b****. Just say he’s a b****,’ Brady told the camera. ‘Come play with the big boys. You’re lucky you won’t get hit.’
Gronkowski appeared stunned by the outburst, admitting he had no idea the typically composed Brady still had that level of competitive ‘s***talking’ in him.
For Brady, the tournament represents his first ‘return’ to the field since retiring in 2023 and he is clearly taking the competitive aspect seriously.
More to follow…
