Sports Cards: 10 Most Coveted Active NFL Players and Their Top Cards
Much like pitchers get no love in the baseball card hobby, the peak of the football card market is singularly focused on quarterbacks.
There are a few exceptions, such as Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, who managed to break through that barrier last season and establish hobby relevance, but for the most part, it's a quarterback-centric market.
With that in mind, we've highlighted the 10 most sought-after players in the 2022 football card market based on current market buzz—all quarterbacks—and given a quick look at some of their notable cards, with their most valuable rookie card, a more approachable alternative and a bargain option.
The list is a mix of established young starters on the rise, rookies poised for significant playing time and a couple of all-time greats destined for the Hall of Fame.
QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
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Most Valuable RC: 2018 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch #163 (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2018 Panini Prizm #205
Best Bargain RC: 2018 Donruss #304
Josh Allen was runner-up in NFL MVP voting in 2020 when he put together a breakout season, throwing for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns while leading the Buffalo Bills to a 13-3 record.
Last season, he solidified his standing as one of the game's top-tier signal-callers with a 4,407-yard, 36-touchdown performance, though his efficiency numbers did dip a bit, and his interceptions climbed from 10 to 15.
Still, the 26-year-old has established himself as a major name in the hobby.
QB Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Most Valuable RC: 2000 Playoff Contenders Auto #144
Best Non-Auto RC: 2000 SP Authentic #118 (/1250)
Best Bargain RC: 2000 Fleer Tradition #352
Not much needs to be said about arguably the greatest player to ever step onto an NFL field.
At 44 years old, he threw for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns last season, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 13-4 record while eclipsing 80,000 passing yards and 600 touchdowns in his storied career.
He has seven Super Bowl rings and three MVP awards, and the Buccaneers went from a 7-9 afterthought to a legitimate title contender and champion when he left the New England Patriots in free agency following the 2019 campaign.
The Championship Ticket parallel version of his 2000 Playoff Contenders rookie card is the holy grail of football card collecting. It has a print run of just 100, and a PSA 9 version of the card sold for $3.107 million in June 2021.
QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
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Most Valuable RC: 2020 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch #156 (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2020 Panini Prizm #307
Best Bargain RC: 2020 Panini Select #46
After leading the Cincinnati Bengals to the Super Bowl last season, Joe Burrow will enter the 2022 campaign with sky-high expectations.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft saw his rookie season cut short by a knee injury, but he returned strong last year, throwing for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns while leading the NFL with a 70.4 percent completion rate and earning the Comeback Player of the Year award.
He helped the Bengals upset the Tennessee Titans and Kansas City Chiefs on the road to reach the Super Bowl and completed 22 of 33 passes for 263 yards with one touchdown and zero interceptions in a 23-20 loss in the big game.
Collectors who bought low prior to last season following his injury reaped the rewards throughout the 2021 campaign.
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QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
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Most Valuable RC: 2020 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch #158 (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2020 Panini Prizm #325
Best Bargain RC: 2020 Panini Select #44
Justin Herbert is the hottest name on the football card market.
After starting 15 games as a rookie in 2020 and throwing for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, the No. 6 overall pick racked up 5,014 passing yards and 38 touchdowns while leading the Los Angeles Chargers to a 9-8 record in 2021, a two-win improvement over their 7-9 showing in the previous year.
With 1,000-yard receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams both returning alongside dual-threat running back Austin Ekeler, the Chargers are poised to have a high-powered offense once again in 2022.
QB Mac Jones, New England Patriots
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Most Valuable RC: 2021 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch #161 (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2021 Panini Prizm #336
Best Bargain RC: 2021 Score #306
Chosen No. 15 overall in the 2021 NFL draft and given the unenviable task of replacing Tom Brady under center for New England, Mac Jones held his own while starting all 17 games during his rookie season.
He threw for 3,801 yards and 22 touchdowns against 13 interceptions, and the Patriots didn't have the dramatic falloff many expected. They finished 10-7 before losing to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Wild Card Round.
With veteran DeVante Parker added to a receiving corps that was headlined by Jakobi Meyers and Kendrick Bourne last season, Jones is poised to continue building on his early-career success.
QB Trey Lance, San Francisco 49ers
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Most Valuable RC: 2021 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch #158 (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2021 Panini Prizm #333
Best Bargain RC: 2021 Donruss #254
Trey Lance might stand out as a name that doesn't belong alongside the others on this list, but his market could explode in the coming weeks.
The Athletic reported Wednesday that incumbent starter Jimmy Garoppolo has been given permission to seek a trade, and a split seems likely in the coming weeks as the San Francisco 49ers look to turn the page to the 2021 first-round pick.
The No. 3 selection in last year's draft, Lance started two games and saw action in six in his rookie season, throwing for 603 yards and seven touchdowns against two interceptions, and he added 168 rushing yards and a score on the ground.
QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
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Most Valuable RC: 2017 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch #161 (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2017 Panini Prizm #269
Best Bargain RC: 2017 Donruss #327
Despite looking downright ordinary at times last year during a 3-4 start to the season, Patrick Mahomes ultimately rounded into form and led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 12-5 record and a trip to the AFC Championship Game.
He threw for 4,839 yards—the most since his breakout 2018 season—to go along with 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
It will be interesting to see how he deals with the loss of top target Tyreek Hill after he was traded to the Miami Dolphins, but the 26-year-old quarterback still has Travis Kelce and Mecole Hardman, as well as newcomer JuJu Smith-Schuster, in the passing game.
QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
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Most Valuable RC: 2019 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch #161 (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2019 Panini Prizm #301
Best Bargain RC: 2019 Donruss #302
The Arizona Cardinals can breathe a sigh of relief after locking up franchise quarterback Kyler Murray with a massive five-year, $230.5 million contract Thursday following an offseason of uncertainty about his future with the team.
That should also give collectors confidence investing in him going forward, as he'll have stability and continuity while he aims to continue his development into a perennial MVP candidate.
It looked like he might take home the hardware during a 7-0 start last season. But an ankle injury cost him three games, and he was not as sharp once he returned to action. Still just 24 years old, the dual-threat star has the potential to be a hobby juggernaut.
QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers
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Most Valuable Pre-RC: 2022 Bowman University Chrome Auto #BCPA-KP
Best Non-Auto Pre-RC: 2022 Bowman University Chrome Refractors #65
Best Bargain Pre-RC: 2022 Panini Chronicles Draft Picks #88
With Ben Roethlisberger's retirement, the door is wide-open for Kenny Pickett to be the most prominent rookie passer of the 2022 season.
While he is technically behind Mitchell Trubisky on the depth chart and Mason Rudolph is also still on the roster, it's only a matter of time before the starting job is his.
The No. 20 pick in the 2022 draft threw for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns during his senior season at the University of Pittsburgh, finishing third in Heisman Trophy voting behind Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
Pickett was the first quarterback taken in a thin draft for signal-callers, and he enters the year as the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
His official rookie cards have not been released yet, but there are some pre-rookie options on the market worth scooping up while you wait.
Desmond Ridder (Atlanta Falcons), Malik Willis (Tennessee Titans) and Matt Corral (Carolina Panthers) are other rookie quarterbacks to look for in 2022 products.
QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
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Most Valuable RC: 2005 SP Authentic #252 Auto Patch (/99)
Best Non-Auto RC: 2005 Topps Chrome #190
Best Bargain RC: 2005 Topps #431
The reigning league MVP and a four-time winner of the award, Aaron Rodgers is still carving out his place among the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
He will need to navigate the loss of top target Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders, but he has succeeded throughout his career regardless of what the depth chart has looked like at wide receiver.
He enters the season ranked among the all-time leaders in passing yards (55,360, 10th), passing touchdowns (449, fifth) and passer rating (104.5, second), and at this point, he has reached living legend status in the sport and in the hobby.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference.
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