From March 1st through August 31st of 2016, the one player in the NFL whose name sold more merchandise than anyone else was none other than a wide receiver who has only played in three of his team’s six games this year. His name? Dez Bryant.
In a press release sent out today, the NFL Players Association announced that Dez Bryant sells more merchandise than any other player in the National Football League.
In the second quarter of the year, from June 1st through August 31st, Bryant topped the list of all NFL players. He was also at the top of the list for the first quarter, which ran from March 1st through May 31st, meaning that through half of the fiscal year, Bryant is the NFL merchandising king.
Tom Brady was the top-ranked player at the end of 2015 and was number two on the most recent list. Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Odell Beckham Jr. rounded out the top five in order.
When it came to “America’s Team,” Bryant wasn’t alone in the top 10. Tony Romo ranked sixth and Jason Witten was 10th. Running back Ezekiel Elliot just missed the top 10 when he ranked 11th.
Overall, the Cowboys and Green Bay Packers finished with the second-most players in the Top 50 with four each. The Seattle Seahawks had the most in the Top 50 with five for the second quarter in a row. Both the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers had three each while nine other teams had two on the list.
As the NFLPA noted in its release, 17 quarterbacks were in the top 50, the best represented position. After QBs, wide receivers were the second most-represented position with 15. On the other side of the football, nine defensive players were in the Top 50.
It’s important to note this list isn’t just based on jersey sales, and instead reflects all merchandise with player names or likenesses. That means the list references jerseys, t-shirts, action figures, photos, bobbleheads, plates, bowls, holiday supplies, and much more.
Here’s how the Top 50 rounded out in the second quarter.
Top 50 Player Sales Report YTD (June 1 – August 31, 2016)
1. Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
2. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
3. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
4. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
5. Odell Beckham, WR, New York Giants
6. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
7. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots
8. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
9. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
10. Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys
11. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
12. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
13. Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
14. Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders
15. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams
16. Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
17. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders
18. Khalil Mack, LB, Oakland Raiders
19. Richard Sherman, DB, Seattle Seahawks
20. Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay Packers
21. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
22. Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers
23. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Minnesota Vikings
24. Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans
25. Le’Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
26. Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
27. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
28. Navorro Bowman, LB, San Francisco 49ers
29. Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots
30. Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
31. DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Houston Texans
32. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
33. Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
34. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
35. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Denver Broncos
36. Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
37. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons
38. Alshon Jeffery, WR, Chicago Bears
39. Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks
40. A.J. Green, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
41. Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers
42. Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers
43. Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins
44. Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets
45. Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
46. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
47. Joe Haden, DB, Cleveland Browns
48. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
49. Kam Chancellor, SS, Seattle Seahawks
50. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
[NFLPA]
