Minnesota Vikings: Peterson Gains Yards, Moves Merchandise

Darren Rovell from CNBC.com has some perhaps-not-surprising news: Adrian "Purple Jesus" Peterson has one of the top-selling jerseys in the league.

The Top 20 Best Selling NFL Jerseys from April 1-Feb. 8, on NFLShop.com:

1. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
2. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
3. Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers
4. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts
5. LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers
6. Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
7. Eli Manning, New York Giants
8. Randy Moss, New England Patriots
9. Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears
10. Troy Polamalu, Pittsburgh Steelers
11. Devin Hester, Chicago Bears
12. Marion Barber, Dallas Cowboys
13. Reggie Bush, New Orleans Saints
14. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
15. Terrell Owens, Dallas Cowboys
16. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys
17. Brady Quinn, Cleveland Browns
18. Sean Taylor, Washington Redskins
19. Brian Westbrook, Philadelphia Eagles
20. Bob Sanders, Indianapolis Colts

Peterson's rank as one of the most popular players, jersey-wise, in the NFL isn't surprising. After all, the Vikings fan base, which is huge and dedicated, has been waiting for a breakout star since Randy Moss departed. And given that the Vikings changed jerseys a couple of years ago, no doubt many fans made the jump to the new style with Peterson's #28.

It's also nice to see former Gopher Marion Barber in the top 15, and as the second-most-popular Cowboy. It's a testament to Barber's success in Big D that he's risen from splitting carries in 2006 to become a bona fide star.

Beyond that: Brady Quinn apparently sold more jerseys than every other backup quarterback in the league combined, maybe every other one combined in league history. Sean Taylor's rank in the top 20 shows you just how 'Skins fans felt about #21. And Brett Favre's rank in the top three just boggles my mind; who waited until now to buy a Favre jersey? Can that many #4s in green and gold really have been ruined by cheese-dip spills in the last ten months?