On the fourth play of the first regular season game of the year, quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles, ending his 2023 campaign. The New York Jets season also figuratively ended that night, with their prized offseason acquisition getting carted off the field before completing a pass in his new threads. Rodgers underwent a grueling rehab process, and despite late-season rumors about a potential comeback, the former Green Bay Packers great will need to wait until the upcoming preseason to return to game action. However, that didn’t stop Rodgers from stealing headlines last year, with numerous media appearances and controversial political opinions keeping him newsworthy.
The 40-year-old now finds himself as one of the top merchandise sellers in the league, albeit playing only four snaps in 2023. Per NFL insider Ari Meirov, the NFLPA announced their top players regarding merchandise sales on Tuesday. Clocking in at the sixth overall spot is Rodgers, well in front of his successor in Green Bay, Jordan Love, and last season’s MVP, Lamar Jackson. Rodgers’ ability to cultivate headlines last season despite not playing likely helped elevate the signal-caller’s merchandise sales.
New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers: Sixth in Merchandise Sales
![REPORT - Polarizing New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers Sits Near Top of NFL Merchandise Sales Despite Playing Just Four Snaps in 2023 Season 1 New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_21837530_168400517_lowres.jpg)
Aaron Rodgers’s play is generational when he is on the field. Rodgers has arguably put together two of the greatest seasons by a quarterback in NFL history, throwing for 45 touchdowns against six picks in 2011 and 48 touchdowns to five interceptions in 2020. He has won four MVPs, earned All-Pro honors five times, and helped lead his old team, the Green Bay Packers, to a Super Bowl victory in 2010. However, Green Bay parted with Rodgers in the 2023 offseason, trading the California product to the New York Jets.
Unfortunately for the Jets and Rodgers, the gunslinger played just four snaps last year, with New York limping to a 7-10 record. So how does someone who played just four snaps become a top earner in merchandise sales? Name recognition and controversy.
Rodgers: NFL Superstar with Controversial Political and Social Commentary
![REPORT - Polarizing New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers Sits Near Top of NFL Merchandise Sales Despite Playing Just Four Snaps in 2023 Season 2 New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets Schedule](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/USATSI_23157451_168400517_lowres-scaled-e1715872330442.jpg)
Aaron Rodgers is an NFL superstar. He is a future Hall of Famer and rivals Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Patrick Mahomes, and Peyton Manning as the best quarterbacks in league history. Rodgers also joined a new team last year, likely resulting in New York Jets fans lining up to snag a jersey of their franchise-altering star. Although he now enters his second season with the Jets, it still feels like a new beginning for the team and player, given that he played only four snaps last year before suffering a season-ending injury. Rodgers is also outspoken about political topics, with some fans likely buying his jersey as a result.
The top 20 NFL players in merchandise sales, via NFLPA:
1) Jalen Hurts
2) Jason Kelce
3) Patrick Mahomes
4) Travis Kelce
5) Christian McCaffrey
6) Aaron Rodgers
7) Joe Burrow
8) Brock Purdy
9) Micah Parsons
10) Justin Jefferson
11) Josh Allen
12) Jordan Love
13) CeeDee Lamb… pic.twitter.com/ulK5wbPYF8— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) June 11, 2024
Rodgers has never shied away from being vocal about world views. Rodgers is a believer in psychedelic drugs, like ayahuasca, and supports the use of alternative medicine. He also took the sporting world by storm during the COVID-19 pandemic, being critical of the NFL’s health and safety protocols and the scientists overseeing vaccine development. Rodgers has also come under fire for implying comedian Jimmy Kimmel was familiar with famous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Additionally, per presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy, Rodgers was on his shortlist for vice president.
Other Notables on NFPLA Top 20 Merchandise Sales
![REPORT - Polarizing New York Jets QB Aaron Rodgers Sits Near Top of NFL Merchandise Sales Despite Playing Just Four Snaps in 2023 Season 3 Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson](https://gridironheroics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/USATSI_22200250_168400517_lowres-scaled.webp)
Among those in the top 20 NFL players in merchandise sales, the Kelce brothers are the least surprising. The younger of the two brothers, Travis Kelce, earned world recognition after his relationship with country music icon Taylor Swift became public. Meanwhile, Jason Kelce gained a massive following alongside his brother with the birth of their podcast, New Heights.
Meanwhile, in a shocking development, NFL MVP Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens barely cracked the top 20. Jackson, a former Madden cover athlete and now two-time MVP, led the Ravens to the best record in football last year. However, their season ended in the AFC Championship after a poor performance from their quarterback.
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