The National Football League needs to clamp down on hazing rookies. It’s not just guys having laughs or new players carrying equipment. Some call it bullying. Some call it workplace harassment. Either way, when it is favored by the veteran players and overlooked by the coaches, the behavior grows out of hand. It definitely does the opposite of developing a sense of team.

The news reports coming out of the Miami Dolphins about the way Richie Incognito reportedly intimidated rookie Jonathan Martin seem new to many NFL fans, but this behavior has been part of the football culture for decades. Unfortunately, this behavior is widespread, and it is an issue the NFL must address. It must not take it lightly. It’s not going to blow over.

The players are high-paid professionals, yet behave like seniors and freshmen in high school. Imagine if older employees in any other workplace could make younger ones pay for expensive meals and parties and get away with racial slurs, rage, profanity and derogatory speech.

In fact, making the rookies pay for meals and parties that can run as much as $20,000 or $30,000 sounds a lot like extortion, even stealing. Veteran players termed it a “rookie tax.”

What’s sad is that these rookies risk their health through high school and college in hopes of just maybe making it to the pros, to finally get paid for their skills. But when they get there, they are treated like dirt. This is a professional sport?

We were glad to hear the Dolphins cut Incognito, but fans — and parents whose children desire to play football — would like to know that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is going put a stop to hazing, especially the kind that borders on criminality.

The owners hired him to clean up the league. He has said that himself. He knows what goes on outside of the view of fans. Goodell needs to get ahead of these issues, not wait for them to blow up in his face, then vow to resolve them each time.

Concussions, bounties, now bullying. As much as we enjoy the games, it’s clear the NFL leaders have some work to do.