Tom Brady Tops NFLPA Player Sales List in First Quarter of 2016 Fiscal Year

Tom Brady's playing status for the start of this season may be in dispute, but the New England Patriots quarterback has never been more popular in terms of merchandise sales. 

According to a press release from the NFL Players' Association, Brady ranked first in most merchandise sold during the first quarter fiscal year:

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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is the current undisputed retail champion, ranking No. 1 for the first time on the NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List for FY16 Q1. The list is based on total sales of all officially licensed merchandise from March 1 through May 31, 2015. The Super Bowl XLIX champion unseated Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks, who topped all players in sales on the NFLPA’s FY15 year-end report that saw Brady finish a then-best third place. 

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In terms of how the merchandise sales broke down, Brady's ranking was boosted by leading all players in Forever Collectibles bobbleheads, Fatheads and Lids custom player head apparel. 

However, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was ahead of Brady in sales of NFL-licensed Nike jerseys during the quarter. 

Rank	Player	Team
1	Tom Brady, QB	New England Patriots
2	Colin Kaepernick, QB	San Francisco 49ers
3	Russell Wilson, QB	Seattle Seahawks
4	Aaron Rodgers, QB	Green Bay Packers
5	Peyton Manning, QB	Denver Broncos
6	J.J. Watt, DE	Houston Texans
7	Richard Sherman, CB	Seattle Seahawks
8	Odell Beckham Jr., WR	New York Giants
9	Marcus Mariota, QB	Tennessee Titans
10	Jameis Winston, QB	Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Other notable names further down the list include new Philadelphia running back DeMarco Murray and Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham at 11 and 12, respectively. Murray's Eagles teammate Tim Tebow remains a popular figure, checking in at No. 31. 

Chicago Bears rookie Kevin White (No. 46) is the only first-year player on the list after Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston in the top 10. 

It's no surprise that the top five players and seven of the top 10 in merchandise sales are quarterbacks, since they are the most-marketed stars in the NFL. J.J. Watt ends the streak of signal-callers, checking in at No. 6. 

One interesting note from lower on the list is Cleveland's Joe Thomas (No. 45) becoming the first offensive lineman to make the top 50 since the NFLPA began compiling sales data in 2012. 

Merchandise sales are always an interesting barometer of how fans view the NFL. Brady should be popular because he just won a Super Bowl, but Kaepernick went through a difficult 2014 season in San Francisco yet still remains a popular player with people.

It's impossible to pin down what makes players such popular merchandise sellers. Sometimes the fascination can be greater than anything else.