Lane Johnson, offensive tackle of the Philadelphia Eagles, posted a tweet on June 7 that shows a photo of the NFL rookie's dinner tab amounting to $17,747.86.
In a report by Yahoo! Sports, the Philadelphia Eagles rookies had to pay for the expensive dinner for their other veteran teammates. The Eagles dined at Del Frisco's steak house in Philadelphia. Johnson added the caption "Rookie dinner." to the photo of the receipt.
Compared to the $55,000 steak dinner that Dez Bryant paid for when he was a rookie of the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles' "Rookie Dinner" is not that outrageous. This time, the older teammates also ensured that the younger ones do not have to pay for the whole tab. Additionally, the treating parties also helped themselves to a good steak, which made the expense more worthwhile.
According to Bleacher Report, it seemed that the team also went all out on wine and Remy Martin. One round of Remy Martin Louis XIII consisted of five shots of the cognac totaling $1,375 or $275 every two ounces. One Screaming Eagle win also cost more than $3,000. Based on the bill, the team also ordered a lot of ribeyes, filet mignons and porterhouses, each weighing 16 to 24 ounces. They did not hold back on side dishes and desserts, ordering onion rings, creamed corn, cheesecakes and a banana bread pudding among others.
NBC Sports writes that the NFL has become very strict after reports of locker room bullying circulated and caused a number of players to either transfer teams or resign. It has been an old tradition in the NFL for veterans to compel rookies to treat them to an expensive dinner. According to NFL experts, although the practice is meant to strengthen the ties between old and new members, it should not equate to extorting money from players, regardless of how much they earn in a season.
It is a fact that many pro football players lose all their fortune after retirement despite earning millions in the league or through endorsements. Some players are asking the NFL and union to find more ways to help players keep their money long after retirement as well as abolish the ridiculous tradition of paying for dinner costing the same as a brand new sedan.
Johnson did not mention how much each of them paid but definitely, the rookies footed it based on his caption. Here is a clearer photo of the receipt showing the details.