Prepare to be surprised. Not insanely surprised, but surprised, nonetheless. NFLShop.com tracks their top NFL jersey sales and last week we all saw that Tom Brady leads the way at the quarterback position and overall. Not shocking. Rob Gronkowski leads the way for the tight end position when it comes to jersey sales. Also, not shocking.
But that’s not what we found surprising about the top tight end jerseys this past week. Gronk makes total sense as #1. He’s the best tight end in the league playing for what looks to still be the best team in the league. Jimmy Graham making the list isn’t surprising either. Graham not being in second place, however, is somewhat surprising. And that’s not the only shocker. Check out the top 5 tight end lineup in regards to NFL jerseys sold through the first two weeks of NFL games:
1. Rob Gronkowski
2. Jason Witten
3. Jimmy Graham
4. Vernon Davis
5. Heath Miller
Witten at 2? Davis and Miller even being on this list? That’s where the jaws start-a-droppin’. Why? For one, Graham is the second best tight end in the league. Him getting traded to the Seattle Seahawks was YUGE news and we’re sure a plethora of custom football uniforms were born from that trade even before you could buy the official Jimmy Graham Seahawks jersey.
Witten is a mild draw and plays for one of the most beloved teams in the nation in the Dallas Cowboys, but come on. He’s no longer even a top-5 player at the position. And even if you do make a convincing case to keep him in the top-three – let alone above Graham – how do you explain a regressing Davis and the plodding Miller?
Those three guys having their jerseys sold as they have means rising stars like Travis Kelce and Tyler Eifert got totally hosed when it comes to their fans expressing their loyalty. Others that are definitely deserving are Chicago’s Martellus Bennett, Philadelphia’s Zach Ertz, Detroit’s Eric Ebron, Miami’s Jordan Cameron, Jacksonville’s Julius Thomas, Minnesota’s Kyle Rudolph and Washington’s Jordan Reed – among others.
Either we’ll soon start seeing some of those guys pop up the ranks in the coming weeks, or they’re just not as popular as we all thought. Who do you think is the biggest surprise on the list – or off of it? Let us know in the comments!
