'Hope this helps': NFL legend’s staggering restaurant tip

NFL star Chad Johnson has once again shown that he's one of the most generous players in the sport after leaving an astonishing tip for a Miami restaurant.

The veteran receiver, formerly known as Chad Ochocinco, is no stranger to grand gestures but he may have even outdone himself after a recent meal at a Cuban eatery.

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Many businesses such as cafes and restaurants have recently been able to open back up after closing their doors in the wake of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Johnson was clearly overjoyed for staff at Havana’s Cuban Cuisine, where he racked up a food bill totalling US $37.40 ($A57).

Rather than leaving the standard 15 to 20 percent gratuity, Johnson went completely above and beyond - signing off for a staggering $1000 tip ($A1527).

To put the extraordinary figure into context, the NFL legend's tip worked out to be more than 2700 percent of the actual bill.

He even left a touching note with the bill that read: “Congrats on re-opening, sorry about the pandemic, hope this helps. ‘I love you.’”

Johnson posted a photo of the tip on social media, accompanied by a reference to a bible passage that reads: “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Restaurant overwhelmed by Johnson’s generosity

The restaurant extended its gratitude to Johnson on Facebook, applauding him for the gesture in "these most difficult times".

“We would like to thank Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson for his continued patronage,” the restaurant posted.

“We greatly appreciate your generosity to our employees now during these most difficult times. Many blessings to you and your family. Thank you again!

Johnson is known for his extravagant restaurant tips, having given an Austin eatery a $540 tip for a $38.43 order of fried chicken last year.

The day before that he left a $276 tip, explaining on the receipt that he “only had 276 yards with the Patriots which was really horrible”.

Johnson always captions photos of his generosity with the same bible verse.