Since the day the Cleveland Browns drafted Johnny Manziel in the first round, they've waged a PR battle to keep the hotshot quarterback from getting a big head. This latest news isn't going to help their cause.
Johnny Manziel leads NFL jersey sales
Surprise, surprise.
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Manziel’s No. 2 was the highest selling jersey in the NFL over the league’s first fiscal quarter, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell.
Just how popular are Johnny's threads? Rovell reports that the official NFL website store sold nearly as many Manziel jerseys during the four days of the 2014 draft weekend as it did jerseys of Robert Griffin III, Andrew Luck and Tim Tebow during their respective draft weekends combined.
Manziel, who's popularity continues to increase amidst a rash of offseason party photos and media criticism, beat out Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson for the top spot. Four of the top five sellers belong to quarterbacks, with Colin Kaepernick and Peyton Manning coming in at third and fourth, respectively.
Richard Sherman, who bagged the cover of the latest Madden video game, is the highest seller among defenders and comes in fifth overall. He and Wilson are among five Seahawks in the top 25, including Marshawn Lynch (11th), Earl Thomas (20th) and the "12th Man" jersey (10th).
Sitting just behind Sherman at No. 6 is Michael Sam, the St. Louis Rams rookie who became the first openly gay player in league history.
Three other rookies join Manziel and Sam in the top 25. Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was 13th, Houston Texans defensive tackle Jadeveon Clowney was 16th and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles was 18th.
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