Strategy January 23, 2020
Mahomes Overtakes Brady In NFL Merch Sales
Sales of official merchandise for the Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback surpassed those of all other players, including Tom Brady.
Perhaps the torch really has been passed.
As the quarterback of the National Football League’s (NFL) Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes II led his team to the AFC championship this year and a spot in Super Bowl LIV. In so doing, he overtook seemingly perennial AFC champion Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who have, with Brady as their quarterback, played in nine Super Bowls since 2002.
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Mahomes after winning the AFC Championship game on Jan. 19
Not only has Mahomes, 24 years old, overtaken Brady, 42, on the field this football season, he’s also surpassed the future Hall-of-Famer in another competition: merchandise sales.
The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) revealed this week that Mahomes’ official licensed NFL merchandise outsold all other players in the league between March 1 and Nov. 30 in 2019. Given his on-field success, exciting style of play and likeable personality, there’s a good chance Mahomes will retain the top spot through 2020 as well, some football insiders maintain. In becoming number one in merch moved, Mahomes unseated Brady, who was in first place for swag sales the previous two years.
This season, Tom Brady was looking up at Mahomes when it came to merch sales.
Still, Brady didn’t exactly plummet down the rankings. He came in second. And to be fair: While Mahomes eclipsed Brady this year in swag sales and gridiron achievement, he’s going to have to win seven Super Bowls to overtake the all-time great in terms of full-career success. Brady, of course, has won six Super Bowls. Good luck, Patrick.
To create the list of players with the most merch sales, the NFLPA tracked sales from more than 75 licensees that produce products that range from apparel and bobbleheads, to video games and more. The top ten players are below.
- Patrick Mahomes II, Kansas City Chiefs
- Tom Brady, New England Patriots
- Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas Cowboys
- Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns
- Odell Beckham Jr., Cleveland Browns
- Khalil Mack, Chicago Bears
- Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
- JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers