Tim Tebow and the Most Marketable Player on Every NFL Roster

NFL teams pay their players big bucks because they make loads of money off of them, but as faces of their franchise, certain players on each team rake in more than the rest.

The correlation between a team's best player and its most marketable player is almost always direct, because fans love the players who make the biggest impact. But some teams have more than one impact player, and it's tough to tell who is the bigger star in the eyes of the consumer.

Here is each NFL team's most marketable player.

New England Patriots: Tom Brady, QB

Easy call here.

Tom Brady has been the face of the New England franchise since his improbable Super Bowl in 2001 after taking over for an injured Drew Bledsoe.

Brady will go down as one of the best players in the history of the NFL.

New York Jets: Darrelle Revis, CB

Darrelle Revis is known far and wide as the best cornerback in the NFL, and I hear he even owns his own island.

Miami Dolphins: Reggie Bush, RB

Reggie Bush is one of the most electrifying players in the history of football, and his unexpectedly strong year in 2011 has cemented him as Miami's most marketable player.

Cameron Wake and Vontae Davis might give him a run for his money, though.

Buffalo Bills: Stevie Johnson, WR

Stevie Johnson may not be with the Bills much longer, but he has quickly developed into one of the most talented receivers in the NFL.

Johnson got a lot of publicity, whether good or bad, when he took a shot at Plaxico Burress (no pun intended) with a touchdown celebration against the Jets.

And let's face it, the Bills aren't a very marketable team to begin with.

Baltimore Ravens: Ray Lewis, LB

Sixteen seasons into his NFL career, and Ray Lewis is still the most marketable player the Baltimore Ravens have.

Ray Rice is very likely gaining steam, but Lewis is still the face of the franchise and still plays lights out.

Lewis will be the guy until he retires.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Polamalu, SS

Troy Polamalu has been one of the NFL's best safeties for a long time, and even with Ben Roethlisberger nipping at his heels, the USC product is Pittsburgh's most popular player.

Polamalu's jersey was the fourth-most sold in 2011 according to CNBC.com.

Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR

The Cincinnati Bengals are a young team that doesn't have any established stars just yet, but the Andy Dalton-A.J. Green connection is gaining steam.

Green will likely become this team's most marketable player in the near future as he buds into a No. 1 NFL wideout.

Cleveland Browns: Peyton Hillis, RB

Despite Peyton Hillis' recent struggles that had a lot to do with injury, he was a surprise breakout player last season who has already had his picture on Madden 12.

How much longer Hillis will be a big part of Cleveland's offense is anyone's guess, but for now he's the guy.

Houston Texans: Andre Johnson, WR

This is a tough one since the Texans are littered with talented players. Johnson, Arian Foster, Mario Williams, Matt Schaub, DeMeco Ryans and Brian Cushing could all be considered.

However, Johnson has been the team's most consistent star throughout Houston's short history and is still considered to be one of the top three receivers in the NFL despite having only fragments of a season thanks to injuries.

Tennessee Titans: Chris Johnson, RB

No question, I have to go with Chris Johnson for the Titans.

He's had a rough year, but he joined the 2,000-yard club in just his second season. Johnson is the face of the franchise.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Maurice Jones-Drew

Another easy call here.

MJD is really the only well-known player on Jacksonville's roster outside of diehard football circles.

Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning, QB

The definition of the face of a franchise, Peyton Manning is easily the most marketable player on the Colts' roster regardless of whether he's playing or not.

The only player who would give him a run is Reggie Wayne.

Denver Broncos: Tim Tebow, QB

You could make a serious case for Champ Bailey here, but Tim Tebow's remarkable season has gotten more heads talking about him than anyone else in the NFL.

Tebow may not be the best player on the team, but I have to think he's the most marketable.

Oakland Raiders: Darren McFadden, RB

Darren McFadden was tearing through NFL defenses this season before abruptly being sidelined with an injury. Once he comes back, he'll be in the spotlight once again.

This is probably a case where the team's best player is also its most marketable.

San Diego Chargers: Philip Rivers, QB

A guy like Antonio Gates or Vincent Jackson could definitely be considered here, but Rivers is the straw that stirs the drink on offense and is still probably the most well-known Charger right now.

Kansas City Chiefs: Jamaal Charles, RB

Kansas City did make a splash with the expensive signing of Matt Cassel (who almost pulled a Tom Brady with the same team), but the injured Jamaal Charles is Kansas City's most explosive player, and with explosion comes excitement.

Linebacker Tamba Hali could potentially be a candidate as well.

Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo, QB

From Romo to DeMarcus Ware to Miles Austin to Jason Witten to Dez Bryant, this team is loaded with marketable players.

However, of the three Dallas players whose jerseys are in the top 10 most sold of 2011, Romo's is the highest, at No. 7.

I had originally thought Ware, but Romo is still the face of the franchise and holds the keys to this team's possible playoff appearance.

New York Giants: Eli Manning, QB

This is another pretty easy call, as Eli Manning has gotten a bunch of publicity for simply being a Manning.

He's done several commercials and has had an incredible 2011 season statistically-speaking.

Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick, QB

Michael Vick's comeback story probably has a lot to do with why his jersey was the third-most sold in 2011.

DeSean Jackson gives Vick a run for his money, though.

Washington Redskins: Brian Orakpo, OLB

A rare defensive player for this list, Brian Orakpo has been in a couple Geico commercials and is one of the best players on the team.

I guess you could say he's the "face of the franchise," though the Redskins don't really have one at this point.

Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers, QB

This one came down to Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews, but Rodgers gets my nomination simply because his jersey was the NFL's best-selling in 2011.

Not surprisingly, Matthews was also on that top 10 list.

Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, DT

Though Ndamukong Suh, Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are all extremely marketable and basically share the "face of the franchise" label between the three of them, Suh gets my vote because of his appearances in commercials and his sheer impact on the franchise in less than two years.

Suh has had some negative incidents recently, but he's still the guy who put the Lions back on the map.

And make no mistake, his jersey is just as popular in the state of Nebraska as it is in Michigan.

Chicago Bears: Brian Urlacher, LB

Jay Cutler, Matt Forte and Julius Peppers could all get consideration, but Brian Urlacher is one of the only defensive players to be the unquestioned face of his franchise.

Urlacher's very limited company consists of Ray Lewis and maybe Darrelle Revis.

Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson, RB

It doesn't get a whole lot easier than this, even with Jared Allen wreaking havoc on the other side of the ball.

Adrian Peterson has been one of the only consistent forces on this team since his arrival, and he has been one of the best running backs in the league in each of his five seasons.

Most people who know much about football would dub Peterson the NFL's best running back. He was also featured with Derrick Rose and BJ Penn in the new Assassin's Creed preview for good measure.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees, QB

Who else? Drew Brees is to the Saints what Tom Brady is to the Patriots.

Brees has brought a Super Bowl to a damaged city and is one of the most popular names in football, something his jersey sales attest to.

Atlanta Falcons: Matt Ryan, QB

This is a tough one since Michael Turner and Roddy White are both right up there with Matt Ryan.

However, Ryan was the start of the Falcons' rise after the Michael Vick ordeal, and he's also been involved in some advertising. I think it's safe to say Matty Ice is the face of the Falcons.

Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB

Cam Newton just got to Carolina, but when you are the first overall pick and have immediate success, you tend to become the face of the franchise.

It has certainly helped that Newton has been outstanding in his first year, carrying the offense and helping resurrect Steve Smith's career. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman, QB

This one is a tough call.

Tampa Bay is a very young team overall with no established stars outside of Ronde Barber, who is the complete opposite of young as far as NFL football players go.

I decided to default to quarterback Josh Freeman, who has really fallen off the map as a result of a poor season, but he is still entrenched as the team's franchise quarterback and should improve next season.

LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams might be the team's two most talented players, but both have had character issues in the past, and neither are incredibly well-known yet. 

San Francisco 49ers: Frank Gore, RB

Frank Gore gets the nod here as the team's most well-known player for some time now.

Receiver Michael Crabtree has the potential to be that guy eventually, but he has yet to live up to his potential, and quarterback Alex Smith has been little more than a game manager.

The only other player worth mentioning is linebacker Patrick Willis, who has been a cornerstone for the defense since his rookie season.

Seattle Seahawks: Marshawn Lynch, RB

This may have been a tough call had Lynch not gone into beast mode the last few games, but his great play has put this one-time Buffalo Bill back on the map.

The Seahawks play good team defense, but they honestly have no other individual players worth mentioning.

Arizona Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald, WR

Larry Fitzgerald has been the face of the Cardinals for quite a while and is still easily the most marketable player on the roster.

Beanie Wells may eventually assume the role.

St. Louis Rams: Steven Jackson, RB

Sam Bradford could also be considered for the Rams, but Steven Jackson has consistently been brilliant for one of the NFL's worst football teams in recent years.