ex-Carolina Panthers superstar leads the NFL in jersey sales

CMC is number one.

Oct 16, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey (22) carries the ball against the Los Angeles Rams in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Right now, no Carolina Panthers player is that popular at an NFL level. Bryce Young is likely on his way to stardom and thus relevancy on a national stage, but he's not there yet. Everyone else on the roster is either not that great or not that well-known, like Robert Hunt, Jaycee Horn, or Chuba Hubbard.

That means there are no Panthers in the top 10 NFL jersey sales. It's likely that no Panther got even close given how bad they've been for the last few seasons. However, in perhaps a cruel twist, a former Panther was on the list. In fact, this former star topped the list.

Christian McCaffrey tops NFL jersey sales

Even when he was with the small-market Carolina Panthers, Christian McCaffrey was supremely popular. He was one of the best if not the best running back in football even then, and he was doing things so few players had ever done before.

Dec 1, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) warms up prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

His popularity only skyrocketed a couple of years ago when the San Francisco 49ers traded for him. They're a big market and a contender, so a lot more fans got to see and appreciate McCaffrey. That translated in 2024-25, as CMC was the best-selling jersey.

He was more popular than Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Micah Parsons, Tyreek Hill, CJ Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Justin Jefferson, TJ Watt, Brock Purdy, and yes, every single Panthers player. The Panthers arguably had to move on from McCaffrey to save money and start a rebuild, but it does sting a little to see what he's become with the 49ers and how beloved he is nationally.

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