Sales of 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick's No. 7 jersey have "jumped to No. 3 in the NFL since he began his national-anthem protest" last month, according to Jerry McDonald of the SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS. The only players "with hotter-selling jerseys" on NFL.com are Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott and Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. Kaepernick's jersey also has become the top seller among all 49ers players after being the "sixth-best seller before the protest." Kaepernick will start the season as the back-up to QB Blaine Gabbert (MERCURYNEWS.com, 9/5). ESPN.com's Darren Rovell cited a source as saying that more Kaepernick gear was "sold last week on the team site than the past eight months combined" (ESPN.com, 9/5). NBC's Gadi Schwartz noted the jerseys were "on clearance shelves last season" after Kaepernick was benched for Gabbert, but they are now "flying off the shelf” (“Today,” NBC, 9/5). ABC's Michael Hayden noted news of Kaepernick's "growing marketability, at least in terms of jersey sales, adds an additional layer of complexity to the story of his protest" (ABCNEWS.com, 9/4). The news of Kaepernick's increased jersey sales comes as President Obama says the QB is "exercising his constitutional right" not to stand for the Anthem.
