Two Minnesota Vikings land in top 50 NFL annual merchandise sales

Merchandise sales for the Minnesota Vikings are doing quite well thanks to two rising stars and an excellent 2017 season, with two players landing in the top 50.

One of the best ways to show your love for an NFL franchise is by wearing the team colors. For that reason, fans flock to buy hats, jerseys, jackets and other merchandise of franchises such as the Minnesota Vikings.

Each year the NFLPA keeps track of merchandise sales for each player and releases a report based on sales from March 1st through the end of February and release a list ranking the 50 top-selling players in the league.

Here are the two Vikings players included in the article shared by the NFLPA titled Tom Brady Returns To No. 1 Spot On Year-End NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List:

Minnesota Vikings

#21. Adam Thielen

The first 1,000-yard receiver for the Vikings since Sidney Rice makes his debut on the list in a big way, jumping all the way up to the #21 spot after not appearing on the list last season. By now, fans know Thielen’s rise from undrafted free agent to starting wide receiver, so seeing him on this list is truly a great story.

#32. Stefon Diggs

It’s no surprise to see Diggs in this spot. The explosive pass-catcher is a threat to break a huge play any time the ball gets in his hands. However, his visibility and popularity likely hit an all-time high following the Minneapolis Miracle where he caught a walk-off touchdown pass from Case Keenum to win their Divisional Round matchup against the New Orleans Saints.

The Vikings have consistently had 2-3 players on the top-selling list for the past several seasons despite being considered a somewhat small-market team compared to teams like the Giants, Patriots, and Cowboys. They were ranked #18 in market size by Forbes for 2017.

There are some teams who don’t have a single player in the top 50. The Washington Redskins, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and Buffalo Bills each have no representation on the list.

Next: 15 best Vikings first round picks of all time

Congratulations to Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen for earning a place in the top 50 of the NFLPA merchandise sales list as well as the Minnesota Vikings for setting the stage to allow these two individuals to shine.