Former tight end Rob Gronkowski believes Tom Brady is dead serious about his return to the football field, even at the age of 50. During his appearance on Up & Adams with Kay Adams, Gronkowski made it clear that the seven-time Super Bowl champion is still wired for competition. 

“I would say he’s 100 % serious; there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “And this is actually a tryout for the Olympics… If Tom performs here and he feels like he can do it in two more years as well, I’m telling you right now, he’s going to put his hat in the mix and try to become the quarterback for the USA team.”

The New England Patriots icon is apparently going the extra mile for the upcoming flag football event. And Gronkowski sees it as a stepping stone to his grand return, even though the former QB will turn 50 in 2028.

Gronkowski’s rationale is that both tournaments are quite similar, and Brady could adapt if the Riyadh event goes well. He even brushed off the age factor, as flag football doesn’t involve contact.

“He’s going to be ready to go at 48 years old for the flag football contest, and he’ll still be ready to go at 50,” he added. “There’s nothing that’s going to change.”

Without suffering hits, Tom can rely on his arm talent, preparation, and football knowledge. In fact, Gronkowski revealed that his former teammate “trains 24/7,” even if he downplays it in public. 

Brady did admit to spending a lot of time at the gym lately. Speaking during the launch of Fanatics Studios in Los Angeles, he acknowledged how gym workouts take most of his time.

“The problem is I’ve probably been in the gym too much, but I’ve had less time on the field, and I need to spend more time on the field getting ready.”

When the conversation shifted to mobility, Gronkowski explained that flag football quarterbacks mostly operate from the pocket rather than with a heavy-run approach. That, paired with Brady’s stellar arm strength, makes him the ‘best candidate’ in Gronkowski’s eyes.

But will the seven-time Super Bowl champion face competition from his peers?

Rob Gronkowski took a long pause before finally picking Philip Rivers, who unretired in December 2025 to play for the Indianapolis Colts. But he still moved on from him and even from QB Patrick Mahomes to announce Brady as the ultimate winner. 

“It’s just that this guy [Brady] that we’re talking about is, Kay, I’m telling you, he’s just totally different; he doesn’t come for everybody,” he said. “…I’ll put it this way, I’m older than Tom in football. It’s sad to say it, but I’m here to admit it.”

Rob Gronkowski’s support comes months after the former Patriots star first entertained the idea of playing at the Olympics back in June 2025.  

Tom Brady is still “competitive” enough to represent the USA

Flag football is slated to make its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. For context, it’s a non-contact version of football played on a smaller field with two halves of twenty minutes each.

Ever since the announcement, fans have been curious about who will make the national team. After all, there’s a massive pool of NFL talent available. Unsurprisingly, chatter about Tom Brady’s potential involvement started swirling.

The legend, who has launched several non-football projects, eventually broke his silence on whether he would like to suit up for Team USA. 

“I’m still very competitive,” he told Complex Sports. “If you put a football in my hand, then watch out. Because that’s still in there. That’s never going to go away. They almost need to tame me. They need to put me in a cage when I get around a football field.”

In fact, he didn’t even flinch over the fact that Olympic flag football will follow a fast-paced 5-on-5 format.

“It doesn’t matter what it is,” he said. 

His tone suggested that he’s ready to adapt to any format when it comes to football. Brady walked away from professional football in February 2023 after posting the first losing season of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The disappointment ran deeper as he ranked first in the league in passing with 5,316 yards the previous year.

That ending may not have sat well with the veteran, considering that he still holds a competitive drive. If his arm strength holds up, the idea of a 50-year-old Brady leading the national team doesn’t seem too far-fetched.