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Philadelphia Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and Dom “Big Dom” DiSandro.
While the Philadelphia Eagles are by far the most recognizable part of his business portfolio, it’s not the only thing Jeffrey Lurie has to do.
He’s also an Academy Award winning film producer with the type of business acumen you can’t get from a Harvard MBA — he borrowed $185 million to buy the Eagles in 1994 and the team is now valued at approximately $8 billion.
So, with a net worth of $7.6 billion, when Lurie shows up at practice on a random Thursday in November, it’s worth remembering how valuable his time is. He wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t important.
In this case, the important thing was putting out fires in the locker room of the defending Super Bowl champions at the behest of famed Eagles head of security Dom “Big Dom” DiSandro.
This particular fire was caused by star wide receiver A.J. Brown, who went on social media (again) to vent his frustrations with the Eagles offense, this time describing the season as a “(expletive) show” during a Twitch livestream.
The Eagles are 7-2, winners of 3 consecutive games and have a 3-game lead in the NFC East Division.
“Today at Eagles practice Big Dom got Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie and AJ Brown together and it looked like they had a very good conversation about AJ‘s frustration and they all want the offense to be better,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark wrote on his official X account on November 13.
Ask yourself — what would you do if someone you were paying $32 million per year constantly complained about their job?
You might want to go have a talk with them.
Lurie is the heir to a family fortune that began when his grandfather, Philip Smith, founded the General Cinema movie theater chain in 1935, which became one of the largest drive-in movie theater and movie theater chains in the country, and at one point operated over 1,500 screens across the U.S.
Lurie actually failed in two previous attempts to buy NFL franchises when Robert Kraft beat him to buy the New England Patriots, and Stan Kroenke beat him out to buy Los Angeles Rams before finally spending $185 million to buy the Eagles in 1994.
He’s also won 3 Academy Awards for documentaries, including “Inside Job” for Best Documentary Film in 2011 and “Summer of Soul” for Best Documentary Film in 2022.
While common sense tells us Lurie was probably at practice to have a “Come to Jesus” moment with Brown, a 3-time NFL All-Pro, he may have just been there to commiserate on how to make it through various media landmines of your own creation.
As Lurie passionately campaigned to keep the Eagles’ signature Tush Push play legal this summer, he ended up in his own maelstrom due to his comments doing so.
“Lurie (said) regardless of whether the play was banned, it was a ‘win-win’ for the Eagles, adding that it was like a wet dream for a teenage boy’ to create a play that was so successful that the only way for it to be stopped was for it to be banned,” ESPN’s Seth Wickersham wrote on May 21. “ … executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent chastised the Eagles owner for the ‘wet dream’ comment, specifically for saying it in front of women in the meeting.”
The New Orleans Saints are finalizing preparations for the stretch of the 2025 season, with roster moves settling in and young players carving out their first real roles. But away from the practice field, one surprising off-field decision has drawn national attention.
As the franchise locks in its 53-man roster, focus should be squarely on football. Yet, the personal lives of rookies often become intertwined with the spotlight, especially when outside distractions collide with the demands of the NFL.
This week, a first-year Saint made a headline-grabbing decision unrelated to football. For him, staying in New Orleans’ long-term plans meant not only competing on the field, but also managing the pressures of celebrity attention off it.
That rookie is running back Audric Estimé, who recently secured a spot on the Saints’ 53-man roster after being elevated from the practice squad. Shortly after that milestone, he ended his relationship with a well-known social media celebrity, an online star with millions of followers and a massive global audience.
The influencer built her brand through music, lifestyle content and viral posts that turned her into one of the most recognizable young digital personalities. Her reach and visibility inevitably brought heightened scrutiny onto Estimé as he adjusted to life in the NFL and tried to solidify his role in New Orleans.
The rookie explained his choice candidly in a private conversation that has since circulated among team circles:
“Right now, I need to focus on building my career with the Saints. There were too many cameras, too many eyes on my life off the field. I need peace, I need focus – if not, I will lose my chance and get left behind in New Orleans.”
Fans immediately reacted across X and Instagram, some applauding Estimé for putting football first, others sympathizing with his former girlfriend and questioning the pressure placed on young players to sacrifice their personal lives. The split fueled debate over the challenges rookies face in balancing relationships with the ruthless demands of professional sports.
For Audric Estimé, cracking the 53-man roster is only the beginning. By cutting ties with distractions and the glare of social media celebrity culture, the rookie signaled that his priority is clear: proving himself in the Saints’ backfield and earning trust in New Orleans for years to come.