By JAKE FENNER, US SPORTS WRITER
Published: 14:23 EST, 10 January 2026 | Updated: 16:57 EST, 10 January 2026
For years, Patrick Mahomes has been one of the NFL’s most marketable and best-selling athletes, with his jersey ranking consistently among the top across the league and fans clamoring for his iconic No. 15 Chiefs uniform.
However, after a season plagued by injury and unexpected team struggles, Mahomes can no longer claim the same dominance in jersey sales, signaling a sharp decline in both his on-field impact and merchandise appeal.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL in a pivotal game, was sidelined just as the team’s playoff hopes fell apart, leaving fans and analysts alike stunned at the sudden turn of events.
Historically, Mahomes has been a juggernaut in the NFL Shop rankings, often trailing only elite stars like Saquon Barkley during standout years, and consistently selling more jerseys than most other players in the league.
Last year, Mahomes had held the second-highest spot in NFL Shop jersey sales, finishing just behind Barkley, who was in his first year with the Philadelphia Eagles and immediately captured fan attention nationwide.
This season, however, Mahomes dropped dramatically in popularity, with fans struggling to buy jerseys amid injuries and a challenging season for the Chiefs that failed to meet expectations.
According to official NFL Shop data, Mahomes finished No. 22 in 2025 for jersey sales, a staggering fall from the previous year’s top-tier ranking and one of the steepest declines among all quarterbacks.
He finished just ahead of Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and narrowly behind Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, reflecting a competitive market for fan merchandise in 2025.
The fall of 20 spots in the NFL Shop ranking illustrates how both performance on the field and visibility off the field can dramatically impact merchandise sales, even for players as renowned as Mahomes.
The quarterback’s difficult season culminated in a torn ACL, one of the most severe injuries a professional athlete can endure, which has cast uncertainty over his participation in the 2026 campaign.
Recovery from an ACL tear is notoriously demanding, often requiring surgery, extensive physical therapy, and a timeline of several months before athletes can return to full-speed competition, raising concerns among fans and team staff alike.
Meanwhile, Mahomes’ chief rival in the AFC, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, surged from No. 6 in 2024 to claim the top spot in jersey sales for 2025, showcasing how a combination of performance and team success drives merchandise popularity.
Allen’s rise demonstrates the influence of winning records, highlight-reel plays, and playoff appearances in shaping fan demand, particularly when juxtaposed with Mahomes’ injury-shortened season.
Behind Allen, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye climbed to second place, reflecting his remarkable leadership in taking a previously struggling team to the AFC’s second seed, a transformation that energized fans and boosted jersey sales.
Rounding out the top three is San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, a testament to the growing visibility of defensive stars in the merchandise market, particularly those who play crucial roles in championship-contending squads.
The fourth and fifth spots were occupied by Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Saquon Barkley, reaffirming Barkley’s consistent popularity despite being edged out of the No. 1 spot by Allen’s breakout year.
Additional top-ten finishers included Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and a trio of 49ers standouts: Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and Brock Purdy, showing a mix of veteran and emerging talent capturing fan attention.
While Mahomes’ current rank of 22 is a dramatic drop, analysts emphasize that such shifts are not uncommon following significant injuries, particularly in a league where visibility, performance, and media presence drive merchandise sales.
The quarterback is expected to miss a portion of the 2026 season due to his ACL recovery, which could further impact jersey sales and fan engagement in the early weeks of the campaign.
He successfully underwent surgery, but the rehabilitation process may force him to miss multiple games, creating challenges for the Chiefs as they aim to maintain competitive momentum without their star quarterback.
Despite the injury, Chiefs staff remain cautiously optimistic that Mahomes could be ready by the start of the 2026 season, aiming to balance a careful rehabilitation program with the need to return their franchise cornerstone to the field.
Mahomes’ situation underscores the delicate balance NFL stars must navigate between on-field health, performance, and commercial popularity, highlighting how even elite athletes are vulnerable to sudden shifts in public perception.
The sharp decline in Mahomes’ jersey sales also emphasizes the hyper-competitive environment of NFL merchandise, where emerging stars, breakout seasons, and playoff narratives can dramatically reshape fan interest year to year.
Ultimately, Mahomes’ 2025 season will be remembered more for adversity than accolades, a rare turn of events for a player whose name had been synonymous with elite quarterbacking and top-selling jerseys.
As the 2026 season approaches, both fans and analysts will be watching closely to see whether Mahomes can rebound on the field and in merchandise rankings, reaffirming his status as one of the league’s defining figures.
Recovery, performance, and market appeal are all intertwined, and Patrick Mahomes now faces a challenge that goes beyond football — reclaiming his stature as one of the NFL’s most beloved and marketable stars.
