For the first time in three years, Tom Brady isn’t the top-selling player in the National Football League.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes bumped the 42-year-old Brady from the top spot this past season, cementing his status as the face of football, Sportico has learned.
Brady, a six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots who joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a free agent, is second on the NFL Players’ Association’s official list of top-selling players from March of last year through February. He has made a record 18 straight appearances in the top three since the NFLPA introduced the list in 2014.
The list includes sales of all officially licensed player-identified merchandise, including jerseys, trading cards, wall decals, T-shirt and bobbleheads. NFLPA licensees generated their sixth consecutive year of record sales, topping $1.9 billion.
The list includes merchandise sold from online and traditional outlets, including Nike – the NFL’s official jersey supplier — and Fanatics.
Mahomes’s popularity surged last season, culminating with a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
Rounding out the top five are Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who skyrocketed from No. 41 heading into the season; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott and Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack was the highest-ranked defensive player at No. 8, while defensive end Nick Bosa of the 49ers was the top-selling rookie at No. 16.
Scott Soshnick is the editor-in-chief of Sportico, Penske Media’s new sports business platform.