The NFL Players Association recently released their year-end top 50 player jersey sales list, which details the “top retail performers in the league based on sales of officially licensed NFL player products between March 1, 2023, and February 29, 2024”. In comparison to their preseason list, which only included March 1, 2023, through May 31, 2023, there was a lot of movement. There were multiple Raiders players on both lists, and a lot of other players of interest to Raider fans were included as well.
Raiders players
It can be hard to reflect on fan outlook prior to the previous season because so much happens over the course of the year. Sometimes fans are so excited about a player who does not work out for one reason or another, and in other situations, guys fly under the radar and quickly become fan favorites.
As far as Raiders players, before last season, there were four players in the top 50 of jersey sales. These players were Jimmy Garoppolo (15), Davante Adams (21), Josh Jacobs (40) and Maxx Crosby (46). By the season’s end, only Crosby (30) and Adams (32) remained.
There is a lot to unpack here. Obviously, Raiders fans are among the most dedicated in the league and they support their players by buying merchandise, showing up to games dressed up, and cheering loudly in the stadium and at home. So, it is not a surprise that there were so many players in the top 50 of jersey sales before the year even began. However, Raider Nation is sick of losing and does not want to support players who do not contribute to the success of the team or choose not to be a part of it.
Garoppolo was slated to be the starting QB at the beginning of last season, so being as faithful as Raiders fans are, the Nation showed up in Garoppolo gear to begin the season. However, the Jimmy Garoppolo experiment was a major failure, so at some point last season, Raiders fans stopped buying his merchandise.
Josh Jacobs faced a similar fate, beginning the year at No. 40 in merchandise sales, but he fell off the list completely as well. The writing was on the wall, especially toward the end of the season for Jacobs, so fans did not want to invest in his merchandise if he was going to leave. To nobody’s surprise, after what became a few tumultuous offseasons in a row for Jacobs and the Raiders, Josh left for Green Bay in free agency. I’m sure Raiders fans still have plenty of Josh Jacobs gear, myself included, and I would not be shocked to see his name toward the top of this list again as a Packer.
Adams and Crosby remained on the list throughout the season, which makes sense because Raiders fans know how committed both these players are to the Silver and Black. Adams is talked about as a trade target every offseason and at every trade deadline simply because he is one of the greatest in the league and is outspoken about his situation.
People mistake his honesty for “wanting out” but true Raiders fans know how much this team and this culture mean to DA. Crosby jumped 16 spots during the season, which is a testament to his prowess as a player and the powerful message that is his story. I met someone recently who had a Maxx Crosby jersey, not because he was a Raiders fan, but because “he helped me want to get sober.” That will always matter more than what he does on a football field.