It’s official: Tua is No. 1 — and No. 2
Rookie quarterback has top selling jerseys on NFL Shop
Even with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tua Tagovailoa’s addition to the Miami Dolphins may be the most popular offseason move — at least according to fans.
Less than a week after selecting his number with the Dolphins, Tagovailoa has the top two selling jerseys on NFLShop.com, the official online store of the NFL. His aqua No. 1 jersey is the top seller, followed by his home white No. 1 jersey.
Tagovailoa, who the Dolphins selected fifth in last month’s draft, wore No. 13 during his three seasons at Alabama, but that number belonged to Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino. Tagovailoa made it clear from the moment he was drafted that he had no intentions of asking the Dolphins to unretire Marino’s number so he could wear it.
“I’m not too worried about what number I have. I understand No. 13 is retired, and it should be,” Tagovailoa said on draft night. “Dan Marino, he’s the GOAT (Greatest of all time). He’s like the mayor there and I have much respect for him.”
Ironically, Tagovailoa settled on No. 1. He was the clear favorite to be the No. 1 pick for much of last season before he suffered a serious hip injury in November that ended his season. By picking that number, he also could be making a statement — Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, the first overall selection in the 2019 NFL draft, wears No. 1 for the Cardinals.
Various Brady jerseys hold the No. 3 through No. 6 spots on the best-selling list, while Gronkowski’s red Buccaneers jersey is No. 7. Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow, the top pick in last month’s draft, has the No. 8 most popular jersey.
Brady signed with Tampa Bay as an unrestricted free agent on March 20 after spending his entire 20-year career with the New England Patriots. The future Hall of Famer, who turns 43 on Aug. 3, has won a record six Super Bowls, four Super Bowl MVP honors and three league MVP awards.
Gronkowski, a five-time Pro Bowl tight end, came out of retirement on April 21 to join his former quarterback with the Bucs. The Patriots traded Gronkowski, 31, to Tampa Bay for a fourth-round pick in April’s draft.