Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has officially become the most popular player in the NFL by taking over Tom Brady’s top spot as their best-selling player.
As if winning a Most Valuable Player award at 23 and a Super Bowl MVP at 24 wasn’t already proof enough that the torch of the NFL’s best quarterback and player had been passed to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. It turns out the wallets of NFL fans everywhere agree that Mahomes is the name they want to celebrate most.
With a new story in Variety, Scott Shosnick writes that the latest report from this past season of NFL sales show that former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is not at No. 1 overall for the first time since 2016. Instead, the Chiefs employ the man you can now officially call the most popular player in the National Football League.
By the way, for a player on the verge of signing his first ever contract extension and his agent, Leigh Steinberg, the timing couldn’t be any better.
If the Chiefs thought there was any chance of saving some money by locking up Mahomes now, forget it. No matter the amount that Clark Hunt, the team’s owner, will commit to Mahomes, the quarterback will undoubtedly bring back multiple times that amount in merch sales, ticket sales, and the overall way he raises the profile of this organization. A rising tide raises all ships, and every member of the Chiefs, including the organization itself, will enjoy a national profile as long as Mahomes is under center in K.C.
The NFL reportedly sold $1.9 billion in merchandise last year, from jerseys and shirts you’d expect to trading cards and all kinds of accessories licensed by the league.
Brady fell to No. 2 this last season behind Mahomes while quarterback phenom Lamar Jackson, last season’s Most Valuable Player, came in third, per Shosnick. Zeke Elliott and Baker Mayfield rounded out the top five. The only other member of the Chiefs on the list was tight end Travis Kelce at No. 26