As New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers prepares to make his NFL season debut on Monday night against the Buffalo Bills, his merchandise sales are already booming.
Rodgers, who was traded to the Jets in the off-season after a stellar career with the Green Bay Packers, only trails rival signal caller Patrick Mahomes in revenue generated by player-branded gear, according to figures from the NFL Player’s Association. During the same period last year, Rodgers ranked 20th and was 11th among quarterbacks.
The NFL season kicks off on Thursday, with the Detroit Lions visiting the reigning Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s set to be one of the most lucrative NFL campaigns ever, with the start of a media rights deal worth about $100 billion over 10 years.
This season also marks the first time a Jets player has made the top 10 in merchandise sales since 2019, when quarterback Sam Darnold came in fourth. The data, which spans March through May, is gathered from the union’s licensing partners such as Fanatics Inc., Nike Inc. and Funko Inc. Official financial numbers from the list weren’t disclosed.
There are a number of factors for Rodgers’ rise, according to Bob Dorfman, a sports marketing analyst at Pinnacle Advertising.
“For somebody like Rodgers who is in the media spotlight, it helps that he went to New York City,” Dorfman said. “It is one of the biggest media markets in the world. Everyone who had a Green Bay apparel now wants the Jets merchandise.”
The quarterback also has the potential to sign another large endorsement deal. Rodgers and State Farm Insurance ended their 12-year relationship with his last commercial airing in January, according to Sportico. The deal was worth an estimated $3 million a year.
Since being traded to New York, Rodgers has made a number of public appearances, including a Broadway show, Knicks game and most recently at the US Open. In order to boost his stature even more and give himself a shot to overtake Mahomes, the reigning Super Bowl MVP, in sales, he’ll also have to excel on the field, according to Dorfman.
“Rodgers has got to win in New York because that is where it is magnified more than any other city,” Dorfman said. “As long as he’s doing well, he’s going to be everyone’s darling. But if things go south, fans, media and sportswriters will crush him.”