In a memo sent on Friday, the NFL informed all teams that it is within their “exclusive discretion” to determine whether players who would like to participate in the March 2026 Saudi Arabia flag football tournament will be allowed to do so.
So far, all of the players mentioned in the initial release have received permission to play, per a source with knowledge of the situation.
They are: Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby, and Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill.
The memo also explains that players who participate will do so at their own risk, and that any injury sustained during the event will not be regarded as a football-related injury within the scope of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and their individual contract.
That wrinkle, we’re told, has already been addressed. The players will be covered by the same type of insurance that the NFL uses for the Pro Bowl, the Olympics, and other sporting events involving active players. The players, and their teams, will be insured against losses arising from any potential injuries happening during the competition.
Although the memo explains that the event is not an NFL initiative, the league is supporting the effort to globalize the game — and to further expand the footprint of flag football. While the tournament could be viewed as an effort by Saudi Arabia to test the football waters before making a future LIV Golf-style play, the current thinking is that Saudi Arabia realizes the massive expense associated with creating the infrastructure required to launch a multi-team, 11-on-11, tackle football competitor to the NFL.
Still, it’ll be interesting to see where it goes from here. A preseason game in Saudi Arabia? A regular-season game? Or will Saudi Arabia buy the UFL?
However it goes, money talks. And Saudi Arabia has an unlimited supply of it.
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