Kirk Cousins suddenly is a very popular man among Washington Redskins fans, but he's no Robert Griffin III. Then again, RG3 is the most popular player the NFL has seen in a long time.
An NFL spokeswoman told ESPN.com on Monday that Griffin already has sold more jerseys this year than any player in a single season since the league started tracking the numbers six years ago. It's not particularly surprising, but it speaks to Griffin's huge influence.
The previous record holder was Brett Favre, who held the top spot from his stays with the New York Jets (2008) and Minnesota Vikings (2009). Peyton Manning's Denver Broncos jersey is No. 2 this year and No. 4 all time.
Griffin's jersey sales are a sure sign we will see plenty of RG3 commercials and everything else over the next decade. There is a healthy debate over his NFL Rookie of the Year candicacy with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, but there's no doubt who resonates most with the public. Luck is sixth in jersey sales (playing in Indianapolis doesn't help).
After Griffin and Peyton Manning, here's the rest of the top five, courtesy of NFLShop.com: Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning and Tom Brady. It's a quarterback's league.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
