No. 2 most popular
Browns rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel will enter training camp this week as Brian Hoyer’s backup, but his No. 2 jersey is selling as if he’s the face of the NFL.
Manziel leads the league in jerseys sold on its official apparel website, NFLShop.com, from April 1-July 17, the NFL announced Monday.
Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson is No. 2 on the list. San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning and Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman round out the top five.
Manziel is the only Browns player to crack the top 25. The team selected Manziel 22nd overall during the first round of the NFL Draft on May 8.
The former Heisman Trophy winner from Texas A&M, Manziel will compete with Hoyer for the Browns’ starting quarterback job this summer. The first full-squad practice of training camp will be held Saturday at the team’s headquarters in Berea.
Browns coach Mike Pettine has made it clear Manziel’s popularity won’t play a role in the position battle.
“All of the decisions, we make about football,” Pettine told NFL Network on May 22. “We embrace the enthusiasm. It’s something that we know will come with the territory with Johnny and we think that’s great, but he’ll be the first one to tell you that he earned the nickname Johnny Football as a college quarterback and he knows he has to earn it as an NFL quarterback. We’re not going to let jersey sales determine our depth chart.”
Two other rookie quarterbacks chosen in the first round were included in the rankings.
The Minnesota Vikings’ Teddy Bridgewater, the 32nd overall pick, is 13th in jersey sales. The Jacksonville Jaguars’ Blake Bortles, the third overall selection, is No. 18 in jersey sales.
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