Tua Tagovailoa has yet to even take his first snap with the Miami Dolphins, but he’s making an immediate impact by having the first and third highest NFL jersey sales on the league’s merchandise website.
Oh it's trueeeeeeeee https://t.co/iZ8L6U5FRW pic.twitter.com/ThSKIcPJLM
— Bobby, No Ricky (@jbeans_15) May 6, 2020
Tagovailoa was the fifth overall selection in last month’s draft, with fellow quarterback Joe Burrow the top overall selection by the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite that lofty status, Burrow currently stands in eighth place in sales.
Prior to the start of the 2019 college season, Tagovailoa was seen as the top pick of the draft.
However, injuries to Tagovailoa that included season-ending surgery and Burrow leading his Louisiana State University team to the national title changed the mindset.
In the buildup to the draft, Burrow became the odds-on favorite as the top pick and many pre-draft rumors had the Dolphins selecting University of Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert.
In between Tagovailoa’s top sellers is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey of their offseason acquisition, quarterback Tom Brady. After spending 20 seasons as a member of the New England Patriots and leading them to six Super Bowl titles, Brady signed with the Buccaneers as a free agent.
Tagovailoa and the rest of the Dolphins continue to await the opportunity to get back on the field, though any fans wearing his jersey may not be able to attend games this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
No official plan has been announced by the NFL, though it seems likely that Tagovailoa may not see much action anyway. That’s because the Dolphins want him to learn the offense and use the 2020 campaign as a learning experience, while also getting back to full health.
