Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker placed #11 on the NFL Players Association’s (NFLPA) Top 50 Player Sales List, one spot above teammate Travis Kelce, for the player with the highest sales of officially licensed NFL player merchandise from March 1 to May 31, 2024.
According to the NFLPA, the merchandise includes everything from jerseys to bobbleheads:
This comprehensive list includes data from online and traditional retail outlets as reported by more than 80 NFLPA licensees and is the only verified ranking of all officially licensed NFL player products. The products range from adult and youth game jerseys, T-shirts, hoodies, bobbleheads, plush toys, socks, face coverings, headbands, figurines, wall decals, backpacks, pennants, photos, drinkware, pet products, and more.
Kelce, who came in at #12 on the list, also saw “high demand” in the “Party Animal’s collectible figurines and squishy toys” category, the NFLPA found, possibly due to celebrity girlfriend Taylor Swift’s devoted influence, and her fans, who boosted Kelce’s merchandise sales by 400 percent last season. Swift bowed to left-wing pressure after the presidential debate and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president in September, which caused the Harris campaign to quickly employ Taylor Swift-themed billboards to appeal to voters and created a flurry of celebrity support of Swift’s endorsement message on Instagram, including a “like” from WNBA star rookie Caitlin Clark.
Butker made his debut on the sales list, after he made headlines for defending Christian values during a commencement speech in March, where he spoke against abortion and gender ideology. He also celebrated motherhood, telling the young women in the room, “Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring into this world.”
Calls for the Chiefs to fire Butker came soon after the commencement speech, citing his “harmful” and “dehumanizing” remarks. Celebrities such as Maria Shriver, Hoda Kotb, and Flava Flav condemned the speech. Taylor Swift fans united to surmise that Swift’s song “The Smallest Man That Ever Lived” must be about Butker. The NFL distanced themselves from Butker’s speech, with the NFL’s chief diversity and inclusion officer making it clear that Butker’s “views are not those of the NFL as an organization.”
Despite the best efforts of Butker’s detractors, the kicker’s NFL jersey sales had already started to climb by May, with Fanatics labeling Butker’s jerseys as Most Popular in Jerseys.
Notably, Houston Texans’ star quarterback C.J. Stroud, who proudly praises God for his successes, telling Fox News in 2023 that “it’s about Him and His glory,” was ranked #1 on the merchandise sales list, with the NFLPA declaring, “C.J. Stroud Dominates Player Sales Heading into Second Season.”
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