Turns out, both T.J. Watt and Kenny Pickett were quite popular among NFL fans over the last year.
According to the Year-End Top 50 Players Sales list from the NFL Players Association, which ranks the top retail performers in the league based on sales of officially licensed NFL player products from March 1, 2023 to Feb. 29, 2024, both outside linebacker T.J. Watt and former Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett ranked inside the top 50.
Per the NFLPA press release, the Top 50 Player Sales List is a key indicator of the most marketable and influential players, impacting their endorsements and overall earning potential.
Watt landed at No. 22, Pickett at No. 34.
Even current Steelers quarterbacks Justin Fields (No. 31, Chicago Bears) and Russell Wilson (No. 42, Denver Broncos) ranked inside the top 50.
Watt had a dominant season in 2023 for the Steelers, recording 19.0 sacks, marking the second time he’s hit the 19-sack plateau. In the process, the Watt also led the league in sacks for the third time and set the Steelers’ all-time sacks record.
He came up just short of winning the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award for the second time, finishing behind Cleveland’s Myles Garrett.
According to the NFLPA, Watt was among the top five of Party Animals’ best-selling player figurines and squishy toys, including Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
As for Pickett, he was expected to break out in his second NFL season with the Steelers after putting together a strong training camp and a terrific preseason. But he never quite figured it out in 2023, struggling in Matt Canada’s bad system.
Ultimately, Pickett got hurt and ended up losing his starting job to Mason Rudolph late in the season as Rudolph led the Steelers to the playoffs. Entering the offseason, Pickett was expected to find himself in a QB competition of sorts, but once the Steelers signed Russell Wilson in free agency, Pickett felt misled with Wilson being put in the “pole position.” He ultimately requested a trade, landing with the Philadelphia Eagles in mid-March.
Ironically, Pickett is now the backup to Jalen Hurts, who was the top player sales earner in the NFL.
The Steelers signed Wilson on March 15 to a one-year, $1.21 million deal, and then traded for Justin Fields one day later, reshaping the quarterback room in a hurry. Wilson will wear No. 3 for the Steelers in 2024, while Fields will wear No. 2. Pickett is wearing No. 7 in Philadelphia.
The top five NFL players in the year-end sales list were Hurts, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
