Every year the NFL releases a list of the most popular players in terms of merchandise sales. Naturally, the top spots generally belong to players who are the most popular, most talented, and/or play for the best team.
The top spot on the 2023 list belongs to a player who doesn’t necessarily fit any of these categories.
Read more: Eagles News: Jason Kelce Reveals He Lost Lone Super Bowl Ring to Ridiculous Stunt
The NFLPA announced individual merchandise sales data dating from March 1, 2023, to Feb. 29, 2024. It would have been believed that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes or tight end Travis Kelce would have led the pack, but Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts came away with the most sales.
Eagles center Jason Kelce did take the second-place spot, which makes total sense considering he has now retired. He is also a heavily popular player simply because of the podcast platform he shares with with brother Travis, “New Heights.”
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Hurts and the Eagles were Super Bowl hopefuls last season, though they ultimately lost in the wild-card round of the 2023 NFL playoffs, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-9. Hurts was one of the better quarterbacks in the league, and it appears his popularity led to a ton of merchandise sales.
Eagles fans are some of the sport’s most die-hard, and it makes sense that Hurts’ 2023 success led to a surplus of sales. Still, it is a bit strange not to see Kelce leading the way. After the news dropped that he was dating pop phenom Taylor Swift, there was an uptick in jersey sales for the Chiefs star. An ESPN report from Sep. 2023 indicated Kelce experienced a 400 percent increase in jersey sales.
Even with the Swiftie bump, the Chiefs’ tight end ranks fourth in 2023 merchandise sales. Even Mahomes — one of the most talked-about quarterbacks in the league, and a Super Bowl champion — couldn’t break the top two.
Despite the Chiefs winning back-to-back championships, Eagles players own the top two spots.
Hurts landing the top spot is also surprising considering how he was criticized toward the end of the season. After a strong showing, he began to throw costly interceptions in games. In fact, Hurts threw five interceptions in the last games the Eagles played.
Regardless of his errors in 2023, Hurts and the Eagles were still very popular. Time will tell if the team can return to proper form in 2024, but they will have to do so without the help of veteran center Jason Kelce.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.