A month ago it looked like Tom Brady would miss the first four games of the Patriots' season. But a judge vacated his Deflategate suspension on Sept. 3, and despite the distractions, Brady has looked like his Hall of Fame self through two games, completing 69 percent of his passes for 754 yards with seven touchdowns, no interceptions and a 119.9 passer rating.
Also through the roof? Brady's jersey sales, which are No. 1 on the league's official website through the first two weeks of the season.
Patriots spokesman Stacey James told ESPN.com's Darren Rovell that sales of Brady merchandise at the Patriots Pro Shop this offseason were "uncharacteristically high," presumably in response to fans rallying around Brady in the wake of the Deflategate drama.
But it's not like Brady wasn't already wildly popular. He was the best-selling player among all licensed merchandise from March 1 to May 31, according to Rovell.
There's more:
On Sept. 10, Under Armour started selling the black shirt worn by Brady in its new commercial. The shirt has the number 199 in black, which is the number of the overall pick that Brady was selected with in the 2000 NFL draft. The shirt sold out in hours and the company, which Brady endorses, is now taking preorders for the next batch.
In spots 2-5 for leading jersey sales through two weeks: Dez Bryant, Odell Beckham Jr., Rob Gronkowski and Jarryd Hayne.
