Three current Pittsburgh Steelers players cracked the top 50 in merchandise sales last season. Many of those, however, were from their previous teams. Outside linebacker T.J. Watt, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and wide receiver DK Metcalf all made the list as issued by the NFLPA. Watt ranked No. 16, Rodgers No. 28, and Metcalf No. 37.
Sales were calculated from last March to this February, before Metcalf or Rodgers became Steelers. The union calculates all player merchandise though a large chunk of those sales come from jerseys.
Quarterback Russell Wilson also made the list, coming in at No. 41. He signed a one-year deal with the New York Giants this offseason and is expected to open the season as the team’s starter.
Watt remains one of the most popular and well-known defensive players in the league. His surname carries plenty of weight as does his play, one of football’s premier pass rushers. He’s also worked to become a more visible face outside the game, starring in more commercials with better self-promotion. This offseason, however, Watt has been private and kept to himself while working on a long-term deal with the Steelers. He is skipping mandatory minicamp, leaving July’s training camp as the next line in the sand.
Just as in Seattle, Metcalf’s jersey figures to be a popular one with Pittsburgh fans. Locked up to a long-term deal after being traded, he is signed through the 2029 season. That gives fans more confidence to buy his jersey under the safe assumption he won’t be shipped out of town or leave in free agency a year from now.
Rodgers may only be in Pittsburgh for a season, but his jersey quickly on sale after signing his contract this weekend. And already, his Steelers No. 8 has been spotted in the city with one fan sporting it during a Pittsburgh Pirates game.
Per the NFLPA, the No. 1 jersey sold over that time frame was that of Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley. A historically good season for the Super Bowl champs made him one of football’s most popular players. Quarterbacks made up the rest of the top five: Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, and C.J. Stroud.
Around the AFC North, QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry made the list for the Baltimore Ravens, QB Joe Burrow and WR Ja’Marr Chase for the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Cleveland Browns were absent from the list. The only jersey news the Browns made this season was fans burning QB Deshaun Watson’s outside the team stadium
