C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans may not have had the best weekend after blowing a 16-point lead to the Detroit Lions at home on Sunday, but the 23-year-old quarterback did get some good news on Tuesday. He has been named the NFL‘s top jersey-seller through October.
The NFL Players Association revealed the top 10 selling jerseys of the year so far and, to no surprise, the list started off QB-heavy. After Stroud at No. 1, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears came in at No. 2 and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs was No. 3.
Stroud is having a decent start to his second season in the league as his offense has dealt with multiple injuries. He’s passed for 2,371 yards and 12 touchdowns, even though he’s been without top receiver Nico Collins for five games. The Texans sit at No. 1 in the AFC South at 6-4.
Mahomes, as the face of the unblemished (9-0) Chiefs, has been a consistent favorite in the league, which understandably translates into high jersey sales.
The Chiefs are in pursuit of a three-peat this season, and the QB’s clutch performances are a big reason for their success. He has led an NFL-high four game-winning drives this season even while, similar to Stroud, his offense has been without key players.
While the stat sheet may look a little different for Williams compared to Stroud and Mahomes, the hype surrounding the No. 1 pick may explain why his jersey is outselling the three-time Super Bowl MVP’s.
The Bears started the season at 4-2 and Williams looked more comfortable each week, throwing a career-high four touchdowns in Week 6. Yet despite a few highs this season, the lows are currently very low in the Windy City. The Bears are now fourth in the NFC North with a record of 4-5 and fired their offensive coordinator Shane Waldron on Tuesday after a three-game losing streak.
Williams, the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner, has not thrown a touchdown pass during that stretch. Chicago has also gone without a touchdown in back-to-back games for the first time since 2004.
[Related: How much is Caleb Williams to blame for the Bears’ offensive woes?]
The OC switch may be the spark Williams and the Bears offense need ahead of their matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
Dave Wannstedt weighs in on Bears firing OC Shane Waldron & if it will impact rookie QB Caleb | The Herd
Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions have carried the momentum from their Cinderella story a year ago into this season. The 8-1 squad has not one, but two players listed in the top 10 for jersey sales — defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson at No. 4 and wideout Aman-Ra St. Brown at No. 6.
The Lions are on a seven-game winning streak and St. Brown has scored a touchdown in each of those games. Hutchinson added 19 defensive tackles and 7.5 sacks in five games, but the pass-rusher will miss the rest of the regular season with a fractured tibia and fibula.
Between the two Detroit favorites is rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels at No. 5. The former LSU Tiger was the No. 2 pick and is now the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite after producing 2,147 passing yards for nine touchdowns, and rushing for 464 yards and four more touchdowns. He is also responsible for the biggest highlight of the NFL season so far: his Week 8 game-winning Hail Mary play against the Bears.
The Commanders are having their best season in years as they sit at 7-3 and second in the NFC East.
Jayden Daniels is ‘a better rookie QB’ than Caleb Williams | The Herd
Rounding out the best-selling jerseys list were a few veteran players, including Dallas Cowboys wideout CeeDee Lamb at No. 7. Despite the woes in Dallas this season, he has still managed to notch 681 receiving yards, 59 receptions and four touchdowns.
MVP candidate Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills was listed at No. 8, Minnesota Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson came in at No. 9 and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby finished the list at No. 10.
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