Tom Brady Admits He's Spending 'Too Much Time' in the Gym as He Talks Flag Football Debut and Fanatics Studios Launch (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Tom Brady supported his close friends Michael Rubin and Michael Ratner at the Fanatics Studios launch party on Jan. 13 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles
• Brady tells PEOPLE he's "probably been in the gym too much" lately as he prepares for the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in March
• The quarterback says he feels "pretty good" these days but admits he's "gotta get out there and throw a little bit more to get my arm ready to go"

Tom Brady has a busy year he has ahead of him — and he's been in the gym getting ready.

As the 48-year-old retired NFL star prepares for his flag football debut at the Fanatics Flag Football Classic in March, Brady tells PEOPLE he's been hitting his workouts hard.

"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," Brady tells PEOPLE at the launch party for Fanatics Studios on Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Brady says he's feeling "pretty good" physically at the moment, though he admits he's not game-ready. "I haven't got hit in a long time, so I gotta get out there and throw a little bit more to get my arm ready to go, but I think it's going to go pretty good."

And now that the NFL season — his second in the Fox Sports broadcast booth — is over for 24 teams, Brady says he's "got to get some receivers out there to run a few routes for me."

The Fanatics Flag Football Classic, a global flag football event scheduled to take place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as part of this year’s Riyadh Season, is just some of the upcoming content on Fanatics Studios' slate.

With the help of Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Brady unveiled the team names and jerseys for the upcoming Flag Football Classic and spoke about the upcoming documentary called One More Drive, which will follow his return to the field.

Daniels will be the captain of the "Wildcats" team, while Brady will captain the "Founders" squad at the Flag Football Classic in March.

Brady also teased the possibility of returning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles — which will include flag football for the first time — during the launch party.

The Fanatics Studios launch party brought out a number of A-listers to celebrate, including Lions quarterback Jared Goff and his wife Christen Harper, rapper Travis Scott, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Dodgers star Mookie Betts, NBA star James Harden, Super Bowl champ Aaron Donald and more.

Brady tells PEOPLE he was thrilled to support his "great friends" Michael Rubin, CEO of Fanatics, and Michael Ratner, CEO of OBB Media. "To see them collaborate and then to be involved in a few projects we've done over the last six months together, and then the one coming up here in March for our Saudi game, it's going to be so much fun. I love being involved and I love competing and I love seeing my friends succeed as well."

Ratner tells PEOPLE there's "no better partner" for OBB Media than Fanatics. "When I saw what he did with Fanatics Fest...being able to figure out how to make the most meaningful sports Comic Con in only a couple of years, it's a dream of mine to partner with a company like this."

Rubin says he's been asked "for years" why Fanatics "wasn't in the content business," and the Fanatics CEO tells PEOPLE he's "very excited" for fans to see their upcoming content.

Guests enjoyed a range of food like cheeseburgers, fried chicken sliders, sushi and tacos during the event, as well as an open bar and the chance to shoot baskets on the court at the L.A. Clippers' Intuit Dome.

Customized crewnecks were available for guests, as well as a number of exciting Fanatics-themed activations. In addition to Brady and Daniels, Rubin and Ratner addressed guests on stage, as well as WWE star Cody Rhodes and CEO Nick Khan.

Read the original article on People