'Space Jam' in the NFL: Here's what a football version of the classic sports comedy might look like

Tom Brady fighting Father Time in the Super Bowl? You better believe it

By Cody Benjamin

Jul 14, 2021 at 8:23 am ET • 3 min read

Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

After 25 years, "Space Jam" is back. For the first time since 1996, when Michael Jordan teamed up with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes to take down the Monstars, the Tune Squad has returned, this time with LeBron James leading the way as the headliner of Warner Bros. Pictures' "Space Jam: A New Legacy," out Friday.

The cult-classic sports comedy series is centered on the hardwood. But did you know, after the original's release, there were talks of a spin-off sequel involving other sports -- a potential "Race Jam" with Jeff Gordon, as well as a team-up between MJ and Tiger Woods? Tony Hawk says a "Skate Jam" was also a possibility at one point.

It got us thinking: What would an NFL version of "Space Jam" look like? Who would appear in it? What would the storyline be?

The answer to the first question seems obvious. (If you don't know it already, you'll find out in a second.) And because this writer is especially sick, we put together a whole synopsis of a potential NFL "Jam," too. As you prepare to soak up LeBron and the Tunes this week, just imagine how excited you'll be in 2024 for ...

Space Jam: Super Bowl Infinity

It's the year 2027. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time. He's also still playing, at age 50. Above and beyond Brady's reality, Father Time is finally convinced by the Interdimensional Council that he must act. The historic run of championships has gone on too long. Humanity is at risk of shunning football after an excess of Brady triumph. So in an unprecedented, time-bending move, Father Time recruits NFL legends of past and present to end TB12's run once and for all.

As Father Time traverses history and explains the dire fate that awaits a football landscape monopolized by Brady, he secures allies from every generation. From Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning and Jerry Rice to Johnny Unitas, Dick "Night Train" Lane and even coach Vince Lombardi, the roster is quite literally a collection of all-timers. Father Time's scheme -- to pit his Time Squad against Brady in the most important Super Bowl ever played -- appears flawless.

That is until Brady, diving deep into his TB12 regimen at 50, accidentally accesses a wormhole to Looney Tune World. It's there where he catches wind of Father Time's scheme and sets out to lead his greatest title run yet. Through tough coaching, grueling workouts and some surprise assists from Space Jam alumni MJ and LeBron, Brady enlists Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and the rest of the Looney gang to join he and Bruce Arians' hologram on the new-look Buccaneers, rebranded as the Tampa Bay Tunes.

In his unprecedented hunt for a 13th Super Bowl ring, Brady is ultimately forced to decide what matters most: the unmatched accolades -- all of which will be wiped away, along with memories of his dynasty, if Father Time succeeds -- or the relationships he built along the way. Featuring climactic appearances from Eli Manning, Nick Foles and Bill Belichick as Father Time's secret Super Bowl weapons, as well as cameos from Brady buddies Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon, Space Jam: Super Bowl Infinity is jam-packed with 'toons and touchdowns.