While it remains to be seen whether Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III sets a record for rehabbing his torn ACL (we’ve never seen that category in the Guinness book), he has set a different kind of record during his first season in the NFL.
Via Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com, the NFL sold more RGIII jerseys during the past fiscal year than any other jersey in any other year.
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning came in second for the year, with the third-highest sales for any fiscal year. The rest of the top five for the fiscal year were Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
For team sales, the 49ers won the crown. They’d still have rather won the Super Bowl.
Griffin’s popularity underscores the importance for the Redskins and the league of keeping him healthy for as long as possible. The game is driven by quarterbacks and the numbers ultimately are driven by star quarterbacks. Griffin already is one of the biggest stars in the game, but that will change quickly if he can’t play.