Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady is returning to the field for an exhibition flag football game this Saturday in Los Angeles, even as his personal life draws headlines and his potential influence on the NFL draft generates speculation.

Brady Back on the Field for Flag Football Classic

Tom Brady will trade his broadcast booth for the gridiron this weekend, joining active NFL stars in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic. The exhibition series, set for Saturday in Los Angeles, brings Brady back to competitive play alongside top talent like Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels.

The event will feature three teams. Brady's squad includes Hurts and will be coached by Sean Payton, the Denver Broncos head coach. Another team boasts quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow, with San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan leading them. A third team will add a competitive edge, featuring players from USA Football’s Men’s National Team, who are the reigning flag world champions. These long-time flag players could potentially be vying with current and former NFL players for spots on a U.S. Olympic team for the 2028 Summer Games.

Initially planned for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, geopolitical developments in the Middle East led to the event's relocation. It will now take place at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, a fitting venue as it's slated to host the flag football competition for the 2028 Olympics. Fox will broadcast the game from 4 p.m. ET to 8:30 p.m. ET.

Calling the action will be the popular Fox broadcast duo of Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen. Before Brady joined Fox to broadcast NFL games, Burkhardt and Olsen were the network's top team. They notably called Super Bowl LVII together. Burkhardt later partnered with Brady for Super Bowl LIX in 2025.

Dating Life in the Spotlight

Off the field, Brady’s personal life continues to attract attention. Recent reports have linked the former New England Patriots star to mining heiress Yael Cohen, Scooter Braun’s ex-wife. This follows a period where Brady was casually associated with influencer Alix Earle.

Earle, for her part, appeared unfazed by the new rumors. At the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars Party, she told "Entertainment Tonight" she was on the hunt for a new connection. "Honestly, no one," she replied when asked who she wanted a selfie with. "I’m just, like, maybe I’ll get someone’s number or something?" she added, emphasizing her desire to meet someone new at the star-studded event.

Sources close to Earle indicated she remains unbothered by Brady's alleged new romance. "Alix and Tom have never been serious and their relationship has always been casual and ‘I’ll see you when I see you’ vibe," an insider told Us Weekly. "She is doing her own thing and having fun, and is not worried about if Tom is seeing other people or the nature of their relationship."

The connection between Brady and Earle first surfaced on New Year’s Eve when they were seen together on a yacht in St. Barts. An insider at the time claimed they "broke off together" and "headed to a private cabin together to talk." They were later pictured getting cozy at a private Super Bowl party. More recently, on March 7, both attended a party at Wynn Las Vegas, though a source indicated they did not cross paths there.

The new rumors about Cohen sparked after Page Six reported Brady, 48, and Cohen, 39, were seen flirting at NFL alum Tony Gonzalez’s birthday party earlier this month. The party was hosted at the Los Angeles home of Lauren Sánchez and Jeff Bezos. A spy at the event noted the pair were "huddled up at the bar" before leaving the bash together. Cohen was married to music executive Scooter Braun from 2014 to 2021; Braun is now reportedly dating Sydney Sweeney.

Mock Draft Speculation Ties Brady to Raiders Quarterback Pick

Brady’s influence in the NFL landscape extends beyond his playing days and broadcast career, reaching into team management. A recent mock draft by Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times has the Las Vegas Raiders, a team with which Brady has an ownership interest, selecting quarterback Fernando Mendoza of Indiana with the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The mock draft suggests Brady has a high regard for Mendoza, who is described as a Heisman winner and a potential cornerstone for the Raiders. This prediction highlights the significant role quarterbacks play in today's NFL, a league often characterized as a "quarterback's league." The Raiders want to build something real, and Mendoza could be the cornerstone they need.

But the mock draft reveals something bigger about where the league's head is at. It notes a strong class of pass rushers, with three edge players projected to go with the second, third, and fourth selections. This emphasis on getting to the quarterback is particularly relevant given the draft's location in Pittsburgh, the birthplace of the famed "Steel Curtain" defense.

Other notable projections include the New York Jets taking Ohio State edge rusher Arvell Reese, and the Arizona Cardinals selecting Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. The Tennessee Titans are also predicted to bolster their defensive line with Miami's Rueben Bain Jr. The Chargers grab an offensive lineman, the Browns do the same, the Rams take a receiver, and the Giants go running back—basically every team's got a different problem to solve.

Saturday's game is Brady doing what he does best: staying in the spotlight, whether it's on the field, in the booth, or in the draft room.