Don’t let anyone tell you that the New Orleans Saints lack star talent. The NFL Players Association released its list of the top 50 players in merchandise sales for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, and three household names for Saints fans made the list.
Franchise quarterback Drew Brees, of course, led the trio at No. 13. He’s the eighth-ranked quarterback among his peers, trailing the new front-runner in Patrick Mahomes (who placed first in the entire NFL) and his new NFC South rival, Tom Brady (who recently shared some free marketing advice with Brees), as well as other passers including Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Aaron Rodgers, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Dak Prescott.
The next Saints player on the list is Alvin Kamara, who clocked in at No. 18. Kamara has expanded his personal apparel line and picked up more endorsements while also launching his Twitch streaming channel, where fans can watch him play video games with his friends and other celebrities. What’s interesting is that Kamara is entering a contract year, and his possible departure from the Saints next season could mean a big loss in merchandising revenue for the team. It’s certainly a situation to watch.
Rounding out the group is Michael Thomas. The All-Pro wide receiver was closer to the end of the pack at No. 38, but his stardom is on the rise after a record-breaking 2019 season. Right now he ranks fifth at his position behind Odell Beckham Jr., JuJu Smith-Schuster, Julian Edelman, and Amari Cooper. The receivers in this top 50 list earning less than Thomas in merchandising revenue include Stefon Diggs, Julio Jones, and Davante Adams.
So fans should expect to see plenty of Saints jerseys carrying Brees, Kamara, and Thomas’s names in the near future — or at least once social distancing measures are lessened around the country. In the meantime, Saints fans playing the popular Nintendo video game “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” can share their fandom with custom shirts and hats recently produced by the team.
