Tim Tebow is tumbling quickly from the top of the NFL's retail mountain. The Denver Broncos' iconic quarterback has fallen from No. 1 in NFL jersey sales all the way to 10th.
The Denver Post reports Tebow merchandise has drifted down the sales chart as No. 15 has drifted down the depth chart. The Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Florida had the top-selling jersey entering his rookie season, but now he's dealing with two kinds of sophomore slump.
Tebow had the eighth most popular jersey in terms of sales on the NFL's merchandise website from April through July. Throw in the month of August, as the Post did, and Tebow's No. 15 jersey was barely in the top 10.
Tebow's still very popular, but it doesn't help that he could end up as the third-string quarterback on a 4-12 Broncos team, behind Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn.
American football fans love buying jerseys from winners, and that explains the new leader. Packers Super Bowl hero Aaron Rodgers is now king of NFL jersey sales. His teammate, linebacker Clay Matthews, is second. Steelers safety Troy Polamalu is in third place.
In an era of offensive football, two of the top three selling jerseys are from defensive players. But both of those guys play in cities that love their D -- and enjoyed Super Bowl runs last winter.
The top five also includes Tony Romo and Tom Brady, as of July 31. Michael Vick is sixth and Drew Brees seventh. Peyton Manning is also in the top 10.
