Fans were left baffled when a restaurant bill showed the amount a NFL team’s 'rookie meal' costs.
American football is one of the highest-paying sports in the world, with AS reporting that the average player’s wage is around $2.8m per year. However, this can vary based on positions.
The lucrative contracts offered to star players, mostly quarterbacks, significantly inflates the figure with the majority of players unlikely to reach the $2m mark in their careers.
According to NFL, Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Dak Prescott was the league’s highest earner, pocketing a staggering wage of $60m per year, an amount which made him the league’s all-time highest-paid player.
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So, considering the wages on offer, it’s not a surprise that every so often teams get together at lavish locations – namely swanky resturants. But how much does the bill come to?
Well, back in 2014, the Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson posted a receipt of a team meal on social media.
The total bill was $17,747.86, which included $1,535.51 in tax and $472.20 in gratuity. However, Johnson claimed that was the 'auto gratuity' and that he, in fact, "tipped about $3k".
The ‘rookie dinner’ is a longstanding tradition in the NFL. According to the New York Times the new players or ‘rookies’ are expected to cover the costs of a meal for their teammates.
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Johnson had to pick up the bill for the meal at Del Frisco’s steakhouse after being a first-round draft pick in 2014.
Former Miami Dolphins linebacker, Channing Crowder, dubbed the act as simply “part of the game”.
In December 2019, then-rookie linebacker D’Andre Walker was seemingly not best pleased when the Tennessee Titans team racked up an eye-watering bill of over $10,000 when they visited Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Nashville. Walker had to pay $10,487.27 and that was without the tip.
The order consisted of $10,000 in food and drink, including $225 pours of cognac and several rounds of expensive beef.
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According to SB nation, this was around 2.1% of his salary for the season.
Although this may seem like a bit of fun to many, others are less pleased with the tradition - namely former former NFL star Torrey Smith.
"This dinner sets a precedent for a lifestyle that the majority of players cannot afford to do and shouldn't be living anyway," he told The New York Times in 2022.
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Smith also took to X in June 2022.
"Rookie dinners are BS!" he wrote.
"I’m glad I had an OG that realized teaching me to blow money is STUPID! It does not prove you belong on a team.
"Dudes come into the league with no financial literacy and real problems but folks think 50k dinners are cool! NAH!"
Topics: NFL, American Football, USA
Luke Davies