Surveys show that Tom Brady’s consumer appeal has nosedived

“This all relates to Deflategate,’’ Delzell said. “Brady hasn’t been playing and hasn’t been in the news for any other reason between the polls.’’

Delzell said the numbers suggest that Brady’s golden image has been damaged both by the NFL investigation into his role in the deflation affair and his underwhelming response to the tabloid-fueled scandal.

Long a peer of marketing magnet Peyton Manning in consumer polls, Brady has tailspinned most severely in terms of the public’s trust. When consumers were polled in February about how much trust they placed in Brady’s words and image, he ranked 967th among of 3,677 celebrities, within the top 27 percent.

Since then, the NFL’s Wells Report concluded that Brady was “at least generally aware” that two Patriots staffers probably violated the sport’s integrity by tampering with the footballs he used in the AFC Championship game. The NFL subsequently imposed a four-game suspension on Brady, a punishment that he is appealing, and penalized the Patriots with a fine and the loss of draft picks.

While Brady’s agent has issued statements challenging the accuracy the Wells Report, the quarterback’s refusal to personally address the allegations since the report was released two weeks ago has further clouded his stature among many observers outside New England.

When the pollsters re-gauged the public’s trust in Brady last week, his ranking had free-fallen to 3,027th, the bottom 8 percent, placing him among the likes of media firebrand Bill O’Reilly.

“It’s very significant to have somebody who was considered trustworthy drop from the top quarter of celebrities down near the bottom,’’ Delzell said. “Brady has gone to where most professional athletes are in terms of trust, unfortunately.’’

Efforts to reach Brady’s camp for comment were unsuccessful.

Last year, Brady earned an estimated $7 million in endorsements from companies such as Under Armour, Movado, Dodge, and UGG. None have dropped him, and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank has publicly cited Brady as an important asset since the Super Bowl.

Plank has not publicly mentioned Brady’s Deflategate difficulties, but a Wall Street analyst recently cited Brady’s woes while evaluating Under Armour’s stock.

On May 11, with the announcement of Brady’s suspension looming, Bryan Ashenberg wrote in the Growth Seeker newsletter, “We have put the brakes on our own plans to add [Under Armour] shares, as it’s likely another UA star, Tom Brady, will receive a suspension for his involvement in the NFL’s ‘deflategate.’ We believe this could cause near-term disruption to the stock’s momentum.’’

The next day, after the NFL suspended Brady, Ashenberg wrote, “The team and Brady can both appeal the decision, but the brand damage has been done.”

Ashenberg added, however, that “any negative business impact Brady’s alleged role in the scandal will bring on the company’’ could be offset by Under Armour spokesmen Stephen Curry, the NBA’s MVP, and Jordan Spieth, the second-ranked men’s golfer in the world.

Overall, Brady’s numbers dropped from February to March in seven of eight consumer categories. He rose only in the percentage of people who recognize his name or likeness, to 85 percent in May from 83 percent in February.

His weakest category was “appeal,’’ meaning likability and merchandising potential. Brady ranked 3,570th, among the bottom 3 percent, with 50 Cent, Britney Spears, and Buffalo Bills coach Rex Ryan.

The Marketing Arm said it polled 1,000 respondents out of a demographically balanced pool of 1 million consumers nationwide.

Janet Fink, a professor in the McCormack Department of Sport Management at UMass-Amherst, suggested Patriots fans are largely insulated against the Brady backlash.

“If you did that kind of marketing research in New England, I don’t think you would see his scores drop,’’ she said. “But I’m not surprised his reputation has taken a hit across a large swath of people who may not even be sports fans, particularly since the report implicated him.’’

Fink predicted that Brady’s consumer appeal would rebound, given the nation’s spirit of forgiveness. She cited scandals last year involving football players Ray Rice, who punched his fiancée, and Adrian Peterson, who physically abused his 4-year-old son.

“Most people have forgiven Rice and Peterson, and theirs were far more egregious acts than if Brady did indeed deflate footballs,’’ Fink said.

One difference is that Brady’s alleged transgression occurred in competition. Adam Brasel, an associate professor of marketing at Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, said athletes who have run into trouble outside their fields of competition, such as Kobe Bryant, have managed to reclaim their reputations largely by performing well in their sports and staying clean.

Bryant publicly apologized in 2004 for engaging in sex with a 19-year-old hotel worker who initially accused him of rape but then declined to testify against him.

Brasel predicted it might be harder for Brady to recover because the allegations against him stem directly from competing in sports.

“Even though the [deflation] issue may not seem like a big deal,’’ Brasel said, “the consequences may follow him for a longer time because whenever he picks up a football, it’s going to be very easy for commentators and fans to remind people about this particular scandal.’’

The next survey of Brady’s consumer appeal is tentatively scheduled for September.

Bob Hohler can be reached at robert.hohler@globe.com.