New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is arguably the most polarizing player in the NFL. Either you hate him because of his success on and off the field as well as the unfounded attacks on his character, or you love him because of the unprecedented quality and winning he brought to the Patriots organization.
In the latter case, you probably own merchandise directly tied to the face of New England’s franchise. According to the NFL players association, there are multiple categories of merchandise ranging from jerseys to T-shirts to bobbleheads to holiday ornaments. And, also according to the NFLPA, items with "Tom Brady" on them were among the most popular over the course of the 2016 fiscal year (March 1, 2016 – Feb. 28, 2017).
Brady, to be precise, ranks third in overall sales and trails only the Dallas Cowboys’ rookie duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott – the first time that two rookies top the list. Elliott, Prescott and Brady are the first three of 50 players ranked; the top 10 look as follows:
1. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys
2. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys
3. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
4. Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
5. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
6. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
7. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
8. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
9. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots
10. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
Brady’s ranking certainly is impressive, considering that the reigning Super Bowl MVP, who leads the league in jersey sales over a similar time frame, has been in the league longer than any other player on the top 50 list. It also shows just how popular of a player he consistently is.
The starting quarterback is not the only member the Patriots to make the list. Tight end Rob Gronkowski – as can be seen above – checks in at number nine, while wide receiver Julian Edelman is ranked 22nd. Only the Cowboys and Seattle Seahawks, with five players apiece, have more names on the list than New England.