After the Chiefs’ Bitter Defeat, Here’s What the NFL Did with Their Super Bowl Merch

If you think the Kansas City Chiefs’ brutal Super Bowl loss was embarrassing, think of all of the merchandise that got printed beforehand to celebrate a win — and which now needs to disappear.

Every January, the National Football League is presented with a problem: Two teams play in the Super Bowl, but only one wins — and the merch to celebrate that win needs to be distributed immediately.

Meanwhile, a trove of T-shirts, jerseys, sweatshirts and hats that seemingly hail from an alternate reality — with this year’s batch declaring the Chiefs the “Super Bowl LII Champions” instead of the Philadelphia Eagles — also must be liquidated.

Nicaraguan children on a Buena Vista soccer team wear NFL-donated apparel hailing the New England Patriots as 2008 Super Bowl Champions, despite having lost to the New York Giants 17-14 that year.

Nicaraguan children on a Buena Vista soccer team wear NFL-donated apparel hailing the New England Patriots as 2008 Super Bowl Champions, despite having lost to the New York Giants 17-14 that year. ASSOCIATED PRESS

That creates “waste,” according to nonprofit Good360, which for more than a decade has worked with the NFL to redistribute the unlucky merchandise of losing Super Bowl teams.

But Good360, which ranked No. 2 in Forbes’ top 10 charities list last year, also has another speciality, too: making sure the merch doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

That means “focusing on regions where the NFL is not widely followed, reducing the likelihood of resale, and trusted partnerships working with vetted nonprofit partners that have demonstrated a track record of responsible distribution,” according to Good360 CEO Cinira Baldi.

This year, it remains unclear where the ill-fated Chiefs merchandise may end up, but Good360 said past destination countries have included Ukraine, Estonia, Mongolia, and Latvia.

Despite the NFL's best efforts to send incorrect merchandise overseas, some gets into some individuals hands and sold on eBay. This shirt is on sale on eBay for $24.95, incorrectly declaring the Seattle Seahawk's back-to-back champions in 2015, despite the New England Patriots winning that year.

Despite the NFL’s best efforts to send incorrect merchandise overseas, some gets into some individuals hands and sold on eBay. This shirt is on sale on eBay for $24.95, incorrectly declaring the Seattle Seahawk’s back-to-back champions in 2015, despite the New England Patriots winning that year. eBay

Pre-made merchandise sits in a factory declaring both the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears as victors before the 2007 Super Bowl.

Pre-made merchandise sits in a factory declaring both the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears as victors before the 2007 Super Bowl. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Unauthorized merchandise disrupts the NFL’s strictly adhered to branding guide, which states that all NFL communication should stand in support of brand values — one of which is anti-bullying.

In 2015, the Seattle Seahawks XLIX Super Bowl winning merchandise was leaked on online, sparking heated debates and nasty remarks online as the New England Patriots had actually won the game 28-24.

“I live up here and hate the Seachickens. I want a shirt or hat just to rub it in,” one user commented on SportsLogos.net.

Others commented that the leaked Seahawks lime green design was “ugly” and “a few shades away from puke green.”

Travis Kelce, the Kanas City Chiefs tight-end, hangs his head low after losing the Super Bowl.

Travis Kelce, the Kanas City Chiefs tight-end, hangs his head low after losing the Super Bowl. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, celebrates his 2025 Super Bowl win holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs.

Jalen Hurts, quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, celebrates his 2025 Super Bowl win holding the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs. Getty Images

Kelce and Hurts hug after the Eagles beat the Chiefs.

Kelce and Hurts hug after the Eagles beat the Chiefs. Getty Images

The NFL and other pro sports leagues have partnered with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security to create Operation Team Player Initiative — seizing counterfeit sports merchandise to uphold the economic vitality of the US.

Right before last Sunday’s Super Bowl game, Operation Team Player Initiative seized $39.5 million in counterfeit goods.

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