The NFL[1] communications department tweeted Tuesday the top 10 best-selling jerseys from April 1, 2015, through Saturday. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady headlines the list at No. 1. Carolina Panthers star signal-caller Cam Newton[2] and explosive New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. rounded out the top three. Top selling @NFL jerseys. pic.twitter.com/KYVoSCrB4T[3][4] Brady's championship-laden resume and incredible staying power justify his place. And Newton is carving out a superb career with his dual-threat capabilities and size; the 6'5", 245-pounder guided the Panthers to a 15-1 regular season in 2015 and a berth in Super Bowl 50. This list makes apparent the popularity of quarterbacks, as three other field generals are featured in the top seven. It's a testament to the dynamic skills and personalities of Beckham and Rob Gronkowski[6] that the two pass-catchers cracked the top four. The only defensive player in the top 10 was the Panthers' Luke Kuechly at No. 8. With an uncanny nose for the ball and some of the best coverage skills displayed by a linebacker in recent NFL history, it's no surprise fans have jumped on his bandwagon. Peyton Manning[10]'s jersey sales may have gotten a boost from his possible impending retirement—even though he had his worst year since his rookie campaign. Manning, who landed at No. 5, threw nine touchdown passes against 17 interceptions in 2015 but has returned from injuries to lead the Denver Broncos to Super Bowl 50. He's bound to see his jersey sales boom even more if he hoists the Lombardi Trophy and rides to retirement in style. The Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks endured struggles this year despite clinching playoff berths. Thanks to Aaron Rodgers[11] and Russell Wilson[12], Nos. 6 and 7 on the list, respectively, each team won a game in the postseason. Wilson in particular played well this year with his best regular season to date. He threw 34 touchdown passes with only eight interceptions and also ran for 553 yards. America's Team grabbed the last two spots in the top 10 with receiver Dez Bryant[13] and tight end Jason Witten. With a healthy Tony Romo in 2016, the Dallas Cowboys should be back in the thick of playoff contention. The visibility of the Cowboys likely helped keep the jersey sales of Bryant and Witten afloat despite the team's abysmal 2015 campaign. Bryant played just nine games and had only three scores after racking up 41 touchdown receptions over the prior three years, and Witten posted the lowest yards-per-reception average (9.3) of his career.
References
- ^ NFL (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Cam Newton (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ @NFL (twitter.com)
- ^ pic.twitter.com/KYVoSCrB4T (t.co)
- ^ February 2, 2016 (twitter.com)
- ^ Rob Gronkowski (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Share on Facebook (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Share on Twitter (twitter.com)
- ^ Get Embed Code (bleacherreport.com)
^ Peyton Manning (bleacherreport.com)- ^ Aaron Rodgers (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Russell Wilson (bleacherreport.com)
- ^ Dez Bryant (bleacherreport.com)
