Why Do NFL Players Stay In Hotels For Home Games? | FluentRugby (2024)

As most NFL fans know, when teams are playing away games they have to hop on a plane and crash in a hotel before taking on their opposition in their rival’s stadium. However, what may come as a surprise to you is that NFL players also stay in hotel games before home games even when some players live less than 5 minutes away from the stadium!

Why Do NFL Players Stay In Hotels For Home Games?

NFL players stay in hotels before home games as a way to ensure players are not out partying the night before a game. By staying in a hotel coaches can keep a close eye on NFL players and the team builds a strong sense of camaraderie. During COVID-19 it has now become mandatory to limit infections.

Why Do NFL Players Stay In Hotels For Home Games? | FluentRugby (1)

Thanks to COVID-19 the NFL has made it mandatory for all NFL players even the home team to stay in hotel rooms prior to games. This ruling has been implemented to prevent NFL athletes mixing with the general public in an effort to reduce the chance of COVID-19 cases.

The last thing the NFL wants is games to be cancelled because multiple NFL players test positive. So one strategy they are using is creating a mini bubble which sees NFL players including the home team confined to a hotel prior to the game.

While this makes sense what is more surprising is that many NFL teams have been implementing this policy for decades way before COVID-19 ever came around.

When NFL teams are playing at home many franchises force players to check into to a hotel with their fellow players and coaches and spend the night prior to the game the next day. This rule has been implemented for many years and was used to prevent players from going out partying and drinking prior to a match. During the wilder days of the NFL players would occasionally turn up on game day smelling like booze and feeling the after effects of the previous evening.

To clamp down on this wild partying and to ensure NFL athletes were able to perform at their best on game day many teams forced all players to stay at a hotel even if they lived right around the corner from the stadium! NFL coaches also didn’t want their players getting any bedroom exercise prior to a game thanks to old adage that women weaken legs.

By having players locked up in the hotel rooms, NFL coaches could keep a close eye on them and ensure they were getting a good night before the big game. However, this didn’t stop legendary kicker Morten Anderson who was notorious for sneaking different women into his hotel room even if he was sharing a room with a fellow NFL player.

Old school NFL coaches also took inspiration from the military and believed that by making all NFL players stay together in a hotel that they would get closer and form a stronger bond. The hotel was the NFL’s version of a military barrack. This increased camaraderie would be expressed the next day in an improved performance out on the football field.

What Hotels Do NFL Players Stay In Before Home Games?

NFL players stay in 5 star hotels which are close to the stadium, with senior players getting suites to themselves and rookies having to bunk up in standard twin rooms.

Why Do NFL Players Stay In Hotels For Home Games? | FluentRugby (2)

While NFL players may get paid millions of dollars per year, NFL franchises are still looking for ways to save money. So when NFL players check into hotel prior to home games they aren’t spending the night in the penthouse or presidential suite with their own butler.

Senior NFL players tend to stay in suites by themselves where they don’t have to worry about listening to their NFL teammates snoring the whole night. Unfortunately NFL rookies aren’t so lucky and typically have to share a small room with a fellow rookie.

What Do NFL Players Think About Spending The Night In A Hotel Before Home Games?

NFL players prefer to spend the night in their own beds prior to a home game. NFL players complain about other player’s snoring, and bad personal hygiene. Aaron Rodgers even said sleeping in hotels messed up his back!

The majority of NFL players are not fans of spending the night in hotel rooms especially when they have million dollar mansions waiting for them just around the corner! I mean who would want to share a small hotel room with an NFL player when they could be stretching out on their king size bed next to their wife or girlfriend?

NFL players have complained that it can be very difficult to get a good night sleep when staying a hotel due to their NFL roommates playing music, tossing and turning, snoring and wanting to have late night conversations. NFL players have event complained about the poor personal hygiene of their teammates which makes sharing a small hotel room quite the unpleasant experience!

Why Do NFL Players Stay In Hotels For Home Games? | FluentRugby (3)

Aaron Rodgers recently made headlines by strong criticizing the antiquated tradition of NFL players being forced to spend the night in a hotel before a home game. He even blamed the tradition for messing up his back because he had to endure sleeping in a very uncomfortable hotel bed. Aaron Rodger’s back was so messed up that he was in danger of missing the game before the Packer’s chiropractors managed to work their magic and remove the knots and kinks!

Wrapping Things Up!

NFL players stay in hotels prior to home games to stop them partying, having sex and to build an increased sense of camaraderie. This tradition has been going on for years in the NFL but with the arrival of COVID-19 the NFL made this rule mandatory for all teams in an effort to create a bubble and limit infections.

Why Do NFL Players Stay In Hotels For Home Games? | FluentRugby (2024)

FAQs

Why do NFL players stay in hotels for home games? ›

NFL teams typically require players to stay in a team hotel the night before a home game. While the players and coaches could just sleep in their beds at home, many franchises prefer the hotel setup, as it prevents distraction.

Do NFL Waterboys travel with the team? ›

As he explained, water boys also get to travel with the team and spend time with players, in addition to other perks.

Do college football players stay in hotels before home games? ›

Many of the nation's top college football teams, including the Ohio State Buckeyes, spend tens of thousands of dollars a year lodging their players in hotels the night before every game played in their own hometowns.

Do pro athletes share hotel rooms? ›

Unless it's a very well-known athlete traveling by themselves, most players don't get special rooms, especially if it's an entire team traveling together. Sometimes, rookie players will even have to share rooms.

Do NFL players have security at home? ›

The NFL provides free security checks of players' homes upon request and regularly holds seminars on how to avoid becoming a victim of fraud and extortion. Major League Baseball, meanwhile, employs at least five members of law enforcement who are on call to provide security in each of the 30 cities with a team.

Do NFL players fly home after games? ›

Road teams are usually in the air within 2 hours of their game ending, then they'll head home from the airport. Home players will usually go home, if they played a 12:00 pm game they might go out for supper or something. If they played a 4:00 pm game, chances are they'll head home.

How much does a towel boy make in the NFL? ›

Former NFL player Jake Thieneman claimed in a TikTok clip that an average NFL water boy makes around $53.000, noting that the actual figure depends on the team's status and the applicant's experience. "Now, there's a misconception that these people just hand out water and towels," Thieneman said.

How much does a NFL mascot make? ›

The average salary for an NFL mascot in 2022 is about $60,000 per year.

What is the salary of a cheerleader in the NFL? ›

A report just last year from NBC News pinpointed the average pay for NFL cheerleaders to be about $150 a game, or roughly $22,500 a year, which is not much different than what it was reported to be in the original Raiders lawsuit.

Do NFL players get their own hotel room away games? ›

The marquee players will get their own rooms, and some of them might even get something really plush. But for rookies and lesser known players, they will have to bunk up with a teammate.

Can football players go to the bathroom during a game? ›

But there are no rules against bathroom breaks in Roger Goodell's NFL. And so it is that players celebrating too much after a touchdown can often expect a hefty fine, while coaches and players are free to do the pee-pee dance on the AstroTurf.

Do NFL players share hotel rooms on the road? ›

Yes. You have the same roommate through the season unless one of you is traded. To save on expenses, and to keep track of everyone at curfew, NFL players are assigned double rooms. As a rule, you're teamed with someone at the same position, so the quarterback and backup quarterback generally room together.

Do NFL teams have their own airplanes? ›

The Patriots aren't the only NFL franchise who have their own plane. The Dallas Cowboys followed suit in 2014 when they purchased a customized Boeing 767-200 from American Airlines.

Do hotels make you pay per person? ›

Some hotels will charge per person because they offer amenities that can be consumed by any guest on the premises. Other hotels don't charge per person but they will restrict you to booking 4 to 5 guests per room in order to comply with fire codes.

How many tickets do NFL players get for home games? ›

Each player is allotted 15 tickets for the game; however, to get those tickets, they have to pay $1,800 for each one -- and that $1,800 price even applies to 2-week-old babies.

Do NFL players get free clothes? ›

Many NFL players receive free team clothes, but it's important to remember that the clothing is not a sign of talent or ability. It is instead an acknowledgement from the league that they think the player isn't good enough and should not be on their team.

How much do NFL bodyguards make? ›

How much does a Security Officer make at National Football League in the United States? The estimated average pay for Security Officer at this company in the United States is $17.16 per hour, which is 24% above the national average.

Can NFL players use their phones? ›

Can NFL players text during games? NFL rules — under normal circ*mstances — prohibit players, coaches and team personnel from using cell phones (and really all electronics except for the special Microsoft tablets) starting 90 minutes before the game through the end of the game.

Do NFL teams feed their players? ›

His staff goes through 200 pounds of fish, 300 pounds of meat and 500 pounds of chicken each week. He says he's determined to keep the players smiling while keeping their stomachs full. “As long as they come in here and they're eating and they're happy, that's the most important thing,” he said.

Do NFL players eat before a game? ›

The timing of a meal also remains important; most players will eat about three hours before a game, Bonci said. “A meal may be three hours prior, but that doesn't mean that everybody's eating it,” Bonci said. “The nerve factor is there, and there are a lot of players that just don't have an appetite,” she said.

Do NFL players fly together? ›

Surprising fact -- only one NFL team flies its athletes in its own plane. In fact, the club has two private jets to ferry them around. What is probably not as surprising is the team that owns it -- the highly successful New England Patriots.

What do Waterboys make in NFL? ›

How much does an NFL waterboy make? The typical starting salary for a waterboy is $53,000 per year according to stack.com. However, with more experience one can earn a lot more than this. Waterboys are also provided with certain perks that can help push their salaries even higher.

How much do NFL nurses make? ›

A sports medicine nurse with five to nine years of experience will earn an annual salary of $94,230. This is a monthly income of $7,850 or $45.30 an hour. Ten to nineteen years of experience will have you earning an annual salary of $117,070, which is $9,760 a month.

Do NFL players do laundry? ›

Yes, NFL players' uniforms are cleaned after a game and later re-worn. The teams have a dedicated laundry staff that is responsible for cleaning and maintaining the players' uniforms and equipment.

Who is the highest paid mascot? ›

Recent reports have revealed that the NBA's highest-paid mascots make more than half a million dollars per year. Jazz Bear.

Do NFL mascots have air conditioning? ›

Listen to this 'Talk of the Nation' topic

Steve, who performs as the mascot for the Baltimore Orioles, says the rumor that mascot costumes have built-in air-conditioners is completely false.

What is the lowest paid position in NFL? ›

What NFL position has the lowest average salary? At the bottom of the salary leaderboard is special teams, averaging $2.775 million. Among the special teams contingency, kickers consistently occupy the highest-paid spots over punters and long snappers.

Is NFL cheerleader a full time job? ›

Most NFL cheerleading squads are a part-time job.

How much does a NFL referee make per game? ›

To be clear, if we use the aforementioned 2019 report, NFL referees receive approximately $12,000 per regular season game.

Why do home teams stay in hotels? ›

What hotels do NFL teams stay at? Marriotts, Hyatt's, Hiltons, etc. The teams have a LOT of requirements so they need to be in places that can handle the meeting room needs, the massive amount of banquet food required, security, privacy, 24 hour staff available, Bell service to haul the players stuff, etc.

Why do college football teams stay in hotels for home games? ›

They “eliminate the distractions for the players in a college town the night before a football game,” said Rob Wilson, associate athletic director of Florida State University, which spent almost $96,000 on home-game hotel rooms in 2018.

Do NFL teams stay in hotels for away games? ›

Each team has a preference to hotel they have been known to stay at when visiting different cities. Sometimes it changes based on availability and dates. Each league and team may have specific requirements to fulfill their teams travel needs.

How do NFL players travel to away games? ›

All NFL teams, not named the New England Patriots, travel via chartered flights, and that is the modus operandi throughout the league. These teams patronize top-notch airlines such as American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Airlines, among others.

How do NFL players use the bathroom during a game? ›

"Guys are peeing all over the sideline in every game, into cups, on the ground, in towels, behind the bench, in their pants, everywhere," says Panthers center Ryan Kalil, who covered this topic and others in The Rookie Handbook, co-authored by Gross and Geoff Hangartner.

Do NFL players pay for their uniforms? ›

Players do not pay for their uniforms or any of the gear they use. So who pays for the fancy uniforms? It's a franchise that usually covers the costs of their players' uniforms. However, teams can recover the cost of these uniforms by selling replicas or authentic jerseys to fans for hundreds of dollars.

Do NFL players party during the season? ›

Most coaches know that players party, and in interviews with players and coaches, what's clear is that few care how much players go out as long as they practice hard, compete in games and don't break any curfews. "Players party," one NFC assistant coach said.

Is there a home advantage in football? ›

American football

At least some degree of home field advantage has been recorded in almost every National Football League season; each year, designated home teams have won more games than lost.

Do football players fly to away games? ›

American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Airlines are among those that fly NFL teams when they have away games. The size of the parties of NFL teams has increased in recent years, so those planes are more crowded than you might think. Some teams have contingents of almost two hundred traveling per game.

Which NFL team has the most fans that travel to away games? ›

On average, 49ers fans travel the most. Since their stadium is now an hour from San Francisco, it probably doesn't seem so bad to drive 380 miles to a game. The Seattle Seahawks were second at about 350 miles traveled (per game).

Do NFL teams ever travel by bus? ›

The NFL teams will charter a bus or plane, specifically for the players, coaches and owners. An NFL team is a $Billion dollar franchise now, the days of an NFL player buying their own plane ticket to a game is long gone.

Do NFL mascots travel to away games? ›

NFL mascots attend every home game for the entire season and don't tend to travel to away games, with the Super Bowl being an exception. But the job doesn't stop with the mascots being at games. NFL teams run events, promotions, and signings for fans throughout the year, with the mascot regularly in attendance.

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