Notoriety apparently suits Tom Brady.
Despite a pending suspension for his alleged role in deflating footballs before the AFC Championship Game, the New England Patriots’ quarterback was the top-selling NFL player last fiscal quarter, according to the NFL Players Associaton.
Merchandise in Brady’s name topped the list of sales from March 1 through May 31, the first time Brady has held the No. 1 spot since the rankings’ inception in 2012, the NFLPA said in a release Thursday.
Brady, who led the Patriots to victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, displaced Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson from the top spot. Wilson was the No. 3 seller behind San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning rounded out the top five.
The rest of the top 10 included Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the top two picks in the 2015 draft, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston and Tennessee Titans QB Marcus Mariota.
The list is based on overall sales of all licensed products from online and traditional retail outlets.