The NFL has started turning Christmas games into an annual tradition. Before 2020, the league scheduled matchups on the holiday 21 times in its history. Since then, there have been 11 Christmas games, including Chiefs-Steelers and Ravens-Texans this season. 

But there’s another Yuletide tradition that’s been established in the NFL for longer than four years: quarterbacks giving their offensive linemen lavish holiday presents. 

It should be fairly explanatory why quarterbacks want to reward the large men whose job it is to protect them from other large men trying to tackle them. An exchange between Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and offensive lineman Alex Cappa on a recent episode of “Hard Knocks” did a good job of summing it up. 

“Is O-line fun?” Burrow asked the seventh-year guard.

“There are good elements in terms of like, you’re doing something bigger than yourself. Your work isn’t always celebrated, and you have to celebrate it,” Cappa responded. “But like, I feel like it’s the most anxiety-filled position.”

“You never get praised for anything good that happens, and anything bad that happens, you get killed,” Burrow agreed. “Quarterback, you’ll get criticized if you stink, but if you’re great, it’s pretty nice.”

So Christmastime is a way for the quarterbacks around the NFL to show their gratitude for their often underappreciated teammates. 

Let’s take a look at some of the swankiest gifts that offensive linemen received this year.

Joe Burrow gifts samurai swords to the Bengals OL

Burrow’s gift to his linemen was this year’s most unique, and it prompted, perhaps, the best quote of the season: “The fact that he bought me a sword, it’s the most ancient form of respect,” offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. told The Athletic. 

Burrow explained later why he decided on the swords, which date back to 16th century Japan. 

“Well, they wanted guns,” he said. “And I was like, ‘I don’t know about guns, guys.’ So I was in the weapon mindset, and I was like, ‘What’s a cool weapon?’ Samurai swords, I think, are pretty dang cool.”

His linemen agreed.

Cappa told ESPN, “My favorite gift I’ve ever gotten by far because it’s so different.”

Russell Wilson puts together a loaded gift bag for the Steelers OL

Wilson joined the Steelers this offseason on a one-year, veteran minimum salary, but the 13-year pro has made enough money in his career to spoil his OL with a loaded gift package that included:

• a Louis Vuitton duffle bag in the Steelers’ black and gold colors
• a $10,000 Airbnb gift card for anywhere around the world
• a bottle of Ten To One Rum (co-owned by his wife, Ciara)
• custom-made Good Man Brand shoes in the Steelers’ colors, for every teammate and coach (brand co-founded by Wilson)

Maybe those last two gifts didn’t cost Wilson anything, but that shouldn’t matter. Wilson wanted to show his thanks to the OL for helping pave the way for his bounce-back season, and he delivered. 

Patrick Mahomes goes all-out on “stocking stuffers” for the Chiefs OL

There were no lumps of coal in these stockings. Or really even stockings, unless you count a $400+ YETI cooler as a stocking. 

That’s only part of what Mahomes left for his linemen in front of their lockers. He also packed the coolers with goodies like Hyperice’s Normatec Elite air compression leg attachments, Rolex watches, Oakley sunglasses, Lucchese leather boots, WHOOP bands and items from the Adidas’ Black Y-3 line, per PEOPLE.

Mahomes saved a special present for his top target, Travis Kelce, though.

Brock Purdy channels Oprah and surprises each 49ers OL with a new vehicle 

If you’ve ever watched a car ad during the month of December and wondered who gives someone a new vehicle for the holidays, well, we have an answer: Purdy does. The 49ers quarterback, who has a sponsorship deal with Toyota, used his connections to present each OL with a new truck — complete with a bow on top, like in the commercials.

Unfortunately for George Kittle, tight ends were not on Purdy’s Santa list.

Jayden Daniels gives the Commanders OL a way to take a load off

Daniels isn’t the first rookie quarterback to hook his OL up with electric scooters; Kyler Murray also did it back in 2019.

Even so, the Commanders’ first-year signal-caller offered the perfect reason why he chose the gift that he did:

The No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is the frontrunner for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and is on pace to break Robert Griffin III’s rookie QB rushing record. He’s also been sacked 22 fewer times (60 vs. 38) than Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in the draft. Williams is the most-sacked quarterback in the league this season, as was Murray five years ago. So it’s understandable that Daniels would want to give the linemen in charge of blocking for him a chance to give their feet a bit of rest.

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