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49ers news: Jimmy Garoppolo, George Kittle top 10 in player sales

By Peter Panacy

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: George Kittle #85 and Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Kittle caught a touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers won the game 31-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: George Kittle #85 and Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrate after Kittle caught a touchdown pass against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Levi's Stadium on October 07, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers won the game 31-3. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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The San Francisco 49ers were represented by Jimmy Garoppolo and George Kittle when the NFL Players Associated listed the top players in last year’s merchandise sales.

Niners fans know it already, but the San Francisco 49ers are a pretty popular franchise.

And unlike the many dark times last decade and the decade before it, there are some pretty popular players on head coach Kyle Shanahan’s roster, too.

With the league’s new year kicking off last month, the NFL Players Association released its top 50 NFL player sales list, which includes all the data from individual player names associated with officially licensed items, merchandise and fan goodies.

You probably know who San Francisco’s top-two players are in this gathering.

Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (No. 9) and tight end George Kittle (No. 10) both cracked the top 10. Sure, there were other notable names above these two superstars, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady coming in at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

But aside from the Cleveland Browns, who were represented by quarterback Baker Mayfield (No. 5) and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 7), no other team was represented twice in the top 10.

Pretty impressive.

Kittle’s rise to superstardom shouldn’t be a surprise at all. But here’s a fun little nugget. Remember when ESPN’s First Take’s Stephen A. Smith got into a debate about why Garoppolo wasn’t the 49ers’ biggest superstar on the roster? You know, this one:

Smith might want to check the NFLPA list in order to realize Garoppolo isn’t just San Francisco’s top-rated sales getter, he’s also within in the top 10 in the entire league.

Is there a microphone to drop somewhere around here?

At any rate, Garoppolo and Kittle weren’t just the only 49ers players to be included on the NFLPA’s top-50 list for last season. Then-rookie EDGE Nick Bosa also made the cut, coming in at No. 16 overall and being ranked the best-selling first-year player out of last season’s crop.

Bosa, who earned the league’s Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2019, finished with nine sacks and was a major reason behind San Francisco’s defensive turnaround last year.

One can only expect Bosa gets better in year two of his already-outstanding professional career.

Next. 49ers out-of-the-box 7-round mock 2020 NFL Draft. dark

Simply put, the Niners are now a well-represented team again and have emerged as one of the top sellers out there in the league, thanks to some massive star power from players like Garoppolo, Kittle and even Bosa.