The Pittsburgh Steelers fan base is one of the biggest in the NFL, so it’s no surprise the Steelers had two players land in the top 50 of merchandise sales in a list put out by the NFL Players Association, tallying totals from March 1, 2024 to Aug. 31, 2024. OLB T.J. Watt came in at No. 21 in the league, while QB Russell Wilson cracked the list at No. 38.
Wilson is in his first year with Pittsburgh while Watt’s been a franchise stalwart with the Steelers. Wilson was a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks, and during his time with Seattle was among the most popular players in the league, so it’s not a surprise to see both of them crack the list. The only surprise here is that the Steelers only had two players on the list and that neither cracked the top 20.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes came in at No. 1 while Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, Chicago Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow rounded out the top five. The Steelers will get a look at Burrow on Sunday at Paycor Stadium, and Burrow jerseys are sure to be seen throughout the stadium, especially with him having a season that Mike Tomlin deemed MVP-caliber.
Watt will be looking to rebound after a tough outing in Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns. He was outshined by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, who just barely cracked the list, coming in at No. 49 in the league for merchandise sales. While it’s a meaningless area, Watt at least seems to have Garrett beat in popularity among fans.
Given that he’s been Pittsburgh’s best player for a number of years now, no one should be shocked to see Watt at the top of the list for the Steelers. He’s been the heart and soul of the team and the leader of its defense, which has anchored the Steelers ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season, and Watt has emerged as one of the best players in football.
Obviously, this list doesn’t encapsulate in-season sales, so it is somewhat interesting to see that fans were buying Russell Wilson merchandise this offseason when he wasn’t even yet officially named Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. While it was assumed he would start and Mike Tomlin said he’d get the first crack at the job, it wasn’t a guarantee, but fans bought his merchandise, which paid off when he made his first start in Week 7.
