Manziel No. 1 in sales
Jersey boys: Manziel leads NFL in merchandise sales; Texans star falls out of top 10
Looks like Johnny Manziel's famous "show me the money" finger-rubbing gesture can be at least partially justified: The Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback is the NFL's reigning merchandise king.
The former Texas A&M star's new garb emblazoned with No. 2 outsold all other league jerseys during the first quarter of officially licensed league sales, according to the NFL Players Association. It marks the first time a Browns players has led shirt sales since the NFL began counting in 2001, according to USA Today.
The former Texas A&M star's new garb emblazoned with No. 2 outsold all other league jerseys during the first quarter of officially licensed league sales.
The Browns' second-string quarterback's official jerseys snag about $100 each, while T-shirts are less expensive.
Manziel's brand includes five Manziel-specific T-shirt designs by Nike and a variety of other jerseys through licensed dealers. The Nike line also include a women's shirt with the words "My MANziel."
For sales from March 1 through May 31, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt ranked No. 6 and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant ranked No. 8 in jersey sales. However both dropped out of the top 10 for the most recent reporting period from April 1 - July 17.
Openly gay athlete Michael Sam zoomed to No. 6 on the list after the NFL draft in early May.
Here's the list for top 10 jersey sellers in the NFL (April 1 - July 17):
1. Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns
2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
3. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
4. Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
5. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
6. Michael Sam, St. Louis Rams
7. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
8. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
9. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
10. 12th Fan, Seattle Seahawks
Sales for period March 1 - May 31:
1. Johnny Manziel, Cleveland Browns
2. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
3. Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers
4. Richard Sherman, Seattle Seahawks
5. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
6. J.J. Watt, Houston Texans
7. Marshawn Lynch, Seattle Seahawks
8. Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys
9. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
10. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
The list is based on total overall sales of all licensed products from online and traditional retail outlets as reported by more than 70 NFLPI licensees such as Nike, VF Imagewear, Fanatics, Outerstuff, Fathead, McFarlane Toys, Oyo Sportstoys, Bleacher Creatures, Forever Collectibles and Photo File. Licensed product categories include men’s, women’s and youth game jerseys and T-shirts, player murals, figurines, matted and framed photos, bobbleheads, drinkware, jewelry and electronic device accessories, among others.