With less than two days until the Super Bowl, Tom Brady has passed Patrick Mahomes on the NFLPA’s top 50 players sales list. Mahomes sat atop the list last season, and though the final list will be released in April, whoever wins Super Bowl 55 will likely receive the retail sales push needed to be the merchandise king of the 2020-2021 season.
The NFLPA’s list is based on sales during the nine months from March through November. Licensed products include apparel, hoodies, backpacks, socks, headbands, wall decals, bobbleheads and other items. The list is packed with quarterbacks, with 18 among the 50 ranked players.
Trailing the Super Bowl duo are a trio of young QBs: Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa and Joe Burrow. Jackson, the reigning NFL MVP, made several top five subcategory lists such as bobbleheads, fathead wall decals, and T-shirt sales. Tagovailoa was the highest selling rookie on the list and led all sales from new licensee Bleacher Report. Burrow, who missed the final seven weeks of the season due to a knee injury, sold the most WinCraft pins, koozies, posters and stickers for a second consecutive sales quarter.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was the only running back to appear in the top 10 and the only Cowboy as well. His teammate, Dak Prescott, led all sales of reloadable debit cards from Card.com while finishing in 11h place on the list. The closest running back to Elliott was the Las Vegas Raiders’ Josh Jacobs, who finished at 12.
For sales of commemorative coins, puzzles and collectible trains from Bradford Exchange, four of the top five spots were occupied by Chiefs players. Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and Tyrann Mathieu have captured fans’ appetite for commemorative currency.
Although Brady surpassed him in total sales, Mahomes still reigns over numerous categories. He’s first in collegiate jersey sales from Under Armour, Fanatics and Adidas, bobbleheads made by FOCO, Fathead wall decals and face coverings and neck gaiters. The Chiefs quarterback even sold four times more Hallmark products than the next player, James Connor.
They were still not enough to surpass Brady, though Sunday’s game may decide the league’s champion in more ways than one.
