Three Minnesota Vikings land in top 50 in 2016 NFL merchandise sales
By Adam Carlson
Three members of the Minnesota Vikings were in the top 50 in merchandise sales last year, with a somewhat surprising top seller for the franchise.
There was a time when the Minnesota Vikings were a one trick pony when it came to merchandise sales. In fact, there was a span of several years where the only player from the team to land in the top 50 was star running back Adrian Peterson.
However, times have changed significantly. When the Year-end NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List was released by the NFLPA, three members of the purple and gold made the list, and none of them had the last name Peterson.
Surprisingly, the top merchandise seller for Minnesota once again was quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Despite sitting out all of the 2016 NFL season due to a devastating knee injury, he landed at #35 on their list.
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The two other members of the Vikings on the list were safety Harrison Smith at #44 and Stefon Diggs at #46. Both are 28 years old or younger and have long careers full of merchandise sales in the future.
The list in general was dominated by large market teams like the Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots with Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, and Tom Brady in the top 3 spots.
Next year, there is potential for more players from the Vikings to hope to make the list, as big seasons from Danielle Hunter, Adam Thielen, or Xavier Rhodes could make them very marketable players for the team going forward.
Next: Griffen included in NFL's Top 100 list for 2017
Congratulations to the Minnesota Vikings for having 3 players on the Year-end NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List and especially to Teddy Bridgewater, Harrison Smith, and Stefon Diggs as being the fan favorites driving fans to buy their merchandise.