New England Patriots veteran quarterback Tom Brady has led the National Football League (NFL) in terms income generated from his merchandise, including jersey sales, video games, and trading cards. The report filed by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) with the United States Department of Labor indicated that Brady earned around $2.5 million from merchandise sales last season.
The amount is separate from his earnings from his endorsement deals with UGG and Under Armour. Brady’s continuing marketability amazed GSE Worldwide president of sports marketing Russ Spielman because the 41-year-old quarterback has been in the same market and selling the same jersey for 17 years.
Brady’s consistent marketability is amazing
Spielman told Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic that Peyton Manning moved markets when he changed teams from the Indianapolis Colts to the Denver Broncos, increasing the sales of his jerseys. But with Brady, Kaplan said his merchandise sales keep going even without any movement.
“I mean, how many more Patriot fans are there that don’t own his jersey at this point, but it keeps going. It’s awesome to watch,” said Kaplan. Last season, Brady earned less from merchandise sales, but he led the NFL in terms of sales of officially licensed player merchandise during the 2018-19 NFL league year for the second straight season. Brady also became the first player to lead the league in saves three times in his career. However, Brady has yet to hit a huge paydirt with the Patriots as he is set to earn $15 million in the 2019 season. In the NFLPA’s list, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was second with an earning of $2 million while former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was third with $1.5 million.
Proceeds from Brown’s jersey are expected to pick up after he was traded to the Oakland Raiders in the offseason.
Brady’s former rival buys his jersey for son
Brady’s jerseys are so hot that even a former rival – ex-San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman – bought one for his young son. On his Twitter account, Merriman shared a photo taken on Father’s Day where he bought a Brady’s No. 12 jersey for his son. Merriman accompanied the photo with the caption: “Happy Fathers Day to all the real Fathers who do things for their kid even if it kills you.” Merriman was a star on a Chargers squad that topped the AFC West each year between 2006 and 2009, but they fell to the Brady-led Patriots twice – in the Divisional Round in 2006 and the AFC Championship in 2007.
Merriman retired in 2013 after an eight-year NFL career spent with the Chargers and the Buffalo Bills. Merriman was not the first former Chargers player who expressed an affinity for Brady. Recently, Merriman’s former teammate, offensive lineman Nick Hardwick, admitted that he despised Tom Brady, but his perception of the veteran quarterback changed after he became a radio analyst in San Diego.