Which Surprising State is Making Kyle Pitts' Falcons Jersey No. 1 Seller?
When it comes to NFL jersey sales, quarterbacks tend to lead the way. According to Lids, this was again the case in 2021 as 38 of 50 states featured a quarterback as their top seller.
Matt Ryan has been around for 14 seasons, though, and most local Atlanta Falcons fans have long owned his No. 2 jersey. Not surprisingly, it is Falcons' rookie Kyle Pitts who led the way in Georgia. The No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft had a 1,000-yard season and earned a trip to the Pro Bowl, justifying those that bought his No. 8 jersey.
While Pitts leading Georgia is understandable, the rookie also led the state of … Montana? Take a look at Lids’ graphic to see each state’s top-selling player and team.
Pitts is an exciting player and one of the true building blocks on this Falcons team. With fantasy football's popularity, fans across the country are becoming familiar with Atlanta’s play-making tight end. The rookie also caught a touchdown in Sunday’s Pro Bowl.
What about Falcons' jerseys overall? Well, they are only popular in their home state of Georgia.
But what about their divisional rivals?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers came in first in Lids' rankings, being the most popular in eight of the 50 states including Alaska and West Virginia. Not so surprising? The Bucs are the most popular jersey in their home state of Florida.
Thankfully the Falcons don't fare much worse than their true rivals, the New Orleans Saints, with Louisiana being the only state where their jerseys are sold most.
Tsk, tsk, tsk to the Panthers though. They bring up the rear in this divisional ranking, just like in the regular season. The Panthers didn't win many home games on, or off the field. What team has the most sales for jerseys in North Carolina this season? The Dallas Cowboys.
Looking at Sunday's Super Bowl LVI, neither the Los Angeles Rams nor Cincinnati Bengals are the top jersey sellers in their home states. California favors the San Francisco 49ers while Ohio prefers the Cleveland Browns.
Depending on who wins, we will see if sales change for those two states, next season.