NFL informs teams they can deny players from competing in Saudi Arabia flag football event

On Monday, Fox’s Tom Brady announced that he would be “coming out of retirement” to step back onto the football field and play in the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in Saudi Arabia next March. And while several current NFL players have already announced their intention to join Brady in the venture, the NFL has made it clear that teams are allowed to deny players from competing in the game should they choose to do so.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, the NFL sent a memo about the upcoming event, informing teams that, according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, teams are not required to allow players to compete in events that the NFL does not sanction.

“Without prior written consent of the Club, Player will not play football or engage in activities related to football otherwise than for Club or engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury,” the memo read, according to Florio. “It is within your Club’s exclusive discretion whether any player under contract on your roster may participate in the Event. If you are inclined to grant consent for a player’s participation, you must confirm so by providing written notice to the player. We recommend that you notify the player that his participation in the Event, and any activities he engages in related to the Event, will be at the player’s own risk and will not be covered by his Contract or the Collective Bargaining Agreement.”

The reason for teams to bar players from competing is pretty apparent. There is a risk that players competing could get hurt, even if the event is supposed to be a non-contact flag football event.

However, this memo has seemingly not stopped teams from allowing players who have already formally announced their intention to play from doing so thus far.

Of the players that were named in the initial report about the tournament, a list that includes Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, Eagles’ Saquon Barkley, 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, Jets’ Sauce Gardner, Browns’ Myles Garrett, Raiders’ Brock Bowers and Maxx Crosby, and Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, all eight players have been cleared to play in the event from the respective teams.

The memo also noted that teams could decide to allow players to compete, but let them know that if they do get hurt while playing, they would not get paid since the injury would not be covered under the league’s injury protection rules in the CBA.

So, perhaps these teams that have agreed to let their players compete are simply allowing their stars to take the risk of competing without getting injured to receive what will likely be a substantial payday for them.