Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys Players Take 4 Out of 5 Top Spots on NFLPA Player Sales List

Rankings include sales of all officially-licensed products

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant is the new king of pro football retail, claiming the No. 1 spot on the NFLPA’s Top 50 Player Sales List for the NFLPA’s first quarter, the association said in a news release Thursday.

The ranking marks the first time since the NFLPA began compiling its Top 50 Player list in 2013 that a non-quarterback has topped the quarterly player sales rankings.

The list is based on total sales of all officially-licensed NFL player merchandise, tracking year-to-date results from March 1 through May 31, 2016.

Bryant, who placed at No. 5 on the season-ending 2015 list, was joined by three other Cowboys teammates - quarterback Tony Romo, rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott and tight end Jason Witten - in the top five.

The only non-Cowboys player in the top five was Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who remained in the fourth spot.

Russell Wilson, the quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, placed sixth. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, the top-ranked player at the end of 2015, checked in at No. 7 and was joined by his teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski in the No. 10 spot.

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ranked No. 8, followed by rookie quarterback Carson Wentz of the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 9.

Cowboys and Seahawks players were represented most frequently on the list, with five players each. The Packers were next with four players, while the Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Oakland Raiders each had three players.

Quarterbacks led the list once again, with 17 finding places among the top 50. The position with the next-most representation was wide receivers with 11, while seven linebackers earned spots on the list. A total of 38 offensive players were ranked, to 12 defensive players.

The Top 50 Player list is released quarterly by the NFLPA, via its licensing and marketing arm NFL Players Inc., and is based on overall sales of all licensed products via online and traditional retail outlets as reported by more than 80 NFLPA licensees, including Fanatics, Nike, VF Imagewear, Outerstuff, Fathead, McFarlane Toys, OYO Sports, Bleacher Creatures, FBF Originals, Forever Collectibles and 500 Level. Licensed product categories include men’s, women’s and youth game jerseys and t-shirts, player murals, figurines, vinyl collectibles, matted and framed photos, bobbleheads, plush keyrings, drinkware, socks, holiday ornaments, and memorabilia, among others.

Highlights from the NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales list:

  • A trio of emergent, young Oakland Raiders jumped into the top 20 of overall sales (Khalil Mack, Derek Carr and Amari Cooper).
  • Mack, an All-Pro linebacker, vaulted a record 29 spots from No. 42 to No. 13, while Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck climbed 16 spots to No. 15.
  • Nine players from the 2016 NFLPA Rising 50, which projects future top sellers of licensed merchandise, made the jump to the Top 50 Players Sales report (Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, Rams running back Todd Gurley, Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jarvis Landry, San Diego Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins and Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett).
  • Also vaulting from outside the top 50 for the first time was Redskins defensive end Ryan Kerrigan (No. 50) and Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee (No. 38).
  • Four rookies were among the first quarter’s best sellers (Elliott, Wentz, Goff and Bosa).
  • Texans defensive end J.J. Watt’s supremacy continues as the highest ranked defensive player on the list at No. 11.
  • Dallas fans powered Elliott, quarterback Tony Romo, wide receiver Dez Bryant, and tight end Jason Witten to the top four sales spots, led in part by strong sales of their products via exclusive e-commerce partner, Fanatics.
  • New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was the fan favorite in tailgate games based on sales from Victory Tailgate and Wild Sports. Brady (Michigan) also claimed the No. 1 spot in collegiate co-branded sales.
  • Brady and fellow Patriot, tight end Rob Gronkowski teamed up to conquer hardlines sales, with Brady topping all players in OYO Sportstoys figures and Funko vinyl collectibles.
  • Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers meanwhile outsold the competition in customized socks from FBF Originals and Freaker USA.
  • Beckham Jr. led sales in international t-shirts in Mexico from licensee Ziporex
  • Rodgers and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald topped sales for Bleacher Creatures plush, while Wentz’s No. 11 jersey from Outerstuff was the favorite among kids.
  • Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton steered sales in active drinkware from licensees Tervis, Boelter Brands, and Williams Industries.

Top 50 Player Sales Report YTD (March 1-May 31, 2016)

1. Dez Bryant, WR, Dallas Cowboys
2. Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
3. Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys

4. Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
5. Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys
6. Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks
7. Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
8. Odell Beckham Jr., WR, New York Giants
9. Carson Wentz, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
10. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots
11. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans
12. Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
13. Khalil Mack, LB, Oakland Raiders
14. Jared Goff, QB, Los Angeles Rams
15. Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders
16. Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders
17. Richard Sherman, DB, Seattle Seahawks
18. Jordy Nelson, WR, Green Bay Packers
19. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
20. DeMarco Murray, RB, Tennessee Titans
21. Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers
22. NaVorro Bowman, LB, San Francisco 49ers
23. Clay Matthews, LB, Green Bay Packers
24. Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
25. Jimmy Graham, TE, Seattle Seahawks
26. Marcus Mariota, QB, Tennessee Titans
27. Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
28. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams
29. Eddie Lacy, RB, Green Bay Packers
30. Carlos Hyde, RB, San Francisco 49ers
31. Andrew Luck, QB, Indianapolis Colts
32. Brock Osweiler, QB, Houston Texans
33. Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots
34. Jarvis Landry, WR, Miami Dolphins
35. Kirk Cousins, QB, Washington Redskins
36. Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
37. Le’Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers
38. Sean Lee, LB, Dallas Cowboys
39. Kam Chancellor, SS, Seattle Seahawks
40. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals
41. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
42. Joe Haden, DB, Cleveland Browns
43. Joey Bosa, DE, San Diego Chargers
44. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Minnesota Vikings
45. Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
46. Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons
47. Brandon Marshall, WR, New York Jets
48. Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings
49. Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
50. Ryan Kerrigan, LB, Washington Redskins

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