Set Number: X163913 TK1

Tom Brady, Russell Wilson Headline Preseason NFLPA Top 50 Player Sales List

Tim Daniels

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is still selling more merchandise than any other NFL player as he prepares to he enter his 23rd season.

Brady topped the NFL Players Association's annual preseason list of licensed items sold, which was released on Friday.

The future Hall of Famer was followed inside the top five by new Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

Here's a look at the top 20 players, via ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Brady briefly retired from the NFL in early February only to rejoin the Bucs' active roster six weeks later.

In June, the former New England Patriots franchise cornerstone explained the "appetite to compete" remained as he tried to step away from the game, so he reversed his decision.

"Then time went by and you just get super competitive," Brady told reporters. "I think I'm part crazy. I mean, I think that's the reality. Forty-five years old and I'm out here with a lot of young guys that are trying to take my head off. I see Aaron Donald work out on my Instagram, and I'm like, damn, maybe I should've stayed retired because he's a beast."

Perhaps the seven-time Super Bowl champion coming that close to hanging up his cleats for good made fans realize it was time to invest in Brady merchandise while he's still on the field.

Meanwhile, Wilson was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Denver Broncos in one of the offseason's blockbuster moves.

The nine-time Pro Bowler jumps into a situation similar to 10 years ago, when Peyton Manning arrived to a strong Broncos roster with hope he could be the final piece of the Super Bowl puzzle. Denver went on to win Super Bowl 50 at the end of the 2015 campaign, Manning's last year in the NFL.

Clearly Wilson's impending debut has created a lot of excitement within the Broncos' fanbase to help him surge up the rankings.

The other members of the top five faced off in last season's Super Bowl as Kupp and Donald helped the Rams score a 23-20 victory over Burrow and the Bengals in February.

L.A. will be right back in the spotlight Sept. 8 when it hosts Josh Allen, No. 9 on the list, and the Buffalo Bills in the NFL's annual Thursday night Kickoff Game.

   

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