Whether your personal collection is strictly for quarterback rookie cards, or you’re paying homage to the hall of famer with the likes of Deion Sanders, Barry Sanders, Jerry Rice, Peyton Manning and others. 

However, the football season is here! Sunday is a near holiday to the American people, and while football fans are cheering on the favorite players, card collectors see beyond the touchdowns on the gridiron to the signatures on the cardboard. With that being said, we’re breaking down the best players and their cards to collect this NFL season featuring the league’s best and brightest talent with the highest demand on the sports card market. 

So let’s begin shall we. 

Honorable Mention

While we have a top five list they’re not the only players worthy of recognition this year. That’s why before giving you the best football cards to buy in 2022, we have a few honorable mention that are worth hunting for your card collection. 

Justin Jefferson has been making his claim as the best wide receiver in the NFL for some time, and while the jury is still out with the likes of Davante Adams still running routes; it is safe to say the Minnesota Vikings wide receiver is one of the premium talents in the NFL bolstering in last year’s with 108 catches for 1,616 yards and scored 10 touchdowns in games in 2021.

Justin Jefferson may not fetch the biggest price as some of our others, but with so much football left to play and such a high ceiling. He seems like more of a long term investment that will pay off in years to come. 

Staying in the wide receiver space, Ja’Marr Chase has only been in the NFL for a little over a year but he has already started to make an imprint on the league. In his first year, he had 81 catches for 1,455 yards, scored 13 touchdowns, and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Oh and not to mention went on a massive postseason run for a trip to the Super Bowl.

So, naturally his early success has only warranted a high demand in terms of his sports cards. A Ja’Marr Chase rookie card is going big in the market from 2021 Panini Prizm to other sets Panini Select Football, but none are more of a hit than his rookie patch autograph in Panini National Treasures. According to Sports Card Investor, the last PSA 10 Ja’Marr Chase Panini National Treasures RPA sold for $10,100 just this year. If he’s able to elevate on the monster start to his career, you can definitely expect these cards to be even more numbers to rise. 

Top 5 Best Football Cards to Buy in 2022

To start our top five we go to the young leader of the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Shiesty, Joe Cool. Joe Burrow was one play away from being a super bowl winning quarterback, after one of the best postseason runs in recent history. after sitting out the majority of his rookie season due to an ACL tear putting up, he followed up with his breakout year putting up 4,611 yards, 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 16 games. While also winning Comeback Player of the Year award.

If anything, last year proved that the sky’s the limit for Burrow, and the sports card community has bought into that premise. Joe Burrow rookie cards value shot up after his big year, and the asking price for his rookie autograph cards fall in the same ball park as  similar to some of the others on our list. As for our favorite, the 2020 Panini Immaculate Collection Joe Burrow Rookie Card #101 Autograph Patch #/99, takes center stage with Burrow signature and jersey patch being accompanied by the bold orange accents almost mimicking the the Bengal stripes on Cincy’s helmets. Value wise, this is also one of the higher end cards on the market with them recently selling in the ball park of $10,000 (depending on grade).

LA Charger’s Justin Herbert hasn’t been in the league long, but when he plays we all know he’s going to be doing this for a long time. His rookie season gave us flashes of the greatness Chargers were so excited but then he returned with a sophomore that only quieted the few skeptics. Justin Herbert finished last season with a passer rating of 97.7 with 5,014 yards, 38 touchdowns and 15 interceptions in 17 games in 2021.

While Justin Herbert’s resume isn’t as full as the others on the list, he is a budding superstar that if you were to land his rookie card now it would be a premium investment. Currently, Justin Herbert rookie cards are already worth a pretty penny, but if he continues to play like he did last season, you could see them jump up into the stratosphere. As for our favorite Justin Herbert, you’ll be surprised to see it features no autograph or patch. That’s right 2020 Justin Herbert Prizm Color Blast SP RC #14. A fan favorite in the sports card. It may not bolster the same love in auctions, but there’s no doubt this card will always get the nod

I don’t know many quarterbacks in the NFL who solidified their spot in the Hall of Fame after their first 3 seasons, but somehow Patrick Mahomes II has done just that. Fans and analysts of the sport have heralded Patrick Mahomes as “the quarterback” of this generation (with consideration to Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen), and it’s because he’s proven to be one of the best talents at the position. What would be for some a career year, it was actually notch below the standards of Mahomes throwing for 4,839 yards, 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on a 98.5% passer rating in 17 games. How disappointing. With league MVP and Super Bowl ring already in his trophy case,

With such an impressive career and more to achieve, it is easy to see why Patrick Mahomes cards are so valuable and of course rookie cards and autographs demand is highest. Adding a Patrick Mahomes II rookie card is always a good decision, but which one are you looking to snag? His 2017 National Treasures or the 2017 Immaculate Collection Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card #104 Autograph Patch (#/99) are always coveted as the most valuable cards but our favorite is just a hair below in terms of price tag. Panini Impeccable’s Patrick Mahomes Patch/Helmet rookie card design gives off exactly what the subset refers to it as: Elegance. Yet, you honestly can’t go wrong with Panini Select Football or Panini Prizm neither.

Josh Allen didn’t jump out at you like his counterparts Patrick Mahomes II or Lamar Jackson, but with improving each season, he has skyrocketed into that top tier class of quarterbacks. Last season he finished the year with 36 passing touchdowns and over 4,000 yards, but many believe the Buffalo Bills captain will take the big leap this season and win MVP honors this year, and if so we can see that leap on the cards as well.

Some of Josh Allen’s most expensive cards include an rookie autograph in Panini Impeccable, a Panini National Treasures Auto, and others, but our favorite is the 2018 Panini Contenders Josh Allen RC Autograph #105. This classic design may not bolster the most expensive bounty on the market but its undefeated in the hearts of sports card enthusiasts and it does just that here. A PSA 10 of this card has gone and will continue to go tens of thousands of dollars.

Yesterday’s price is not today’s price. And every day the Baltimore Ravens fail to offer a respectable deal for the franchise quarterback, the more that price goes up. Jackson has been other worldly since taking over as the starter. With 1 NFL MVP under his belt and an unquestioned MVP contender every year, Lamar Jackson is becoming one of the most dynamic football players the NFL has ever seen. While last year was a disappointment with the slew of injuries

But not only is the price of Lamar’s bag going up, his cards are expected to do the same.  Naturally, the most expensive football cards carrying the likeness of Jackson also carry his signature meaning his 2018 National Treasures rookie card is without a doubt holds one of if not the heftiest price tag on the market. However, that’s not the only card that is deserving of attention. Lamar Jackson’s 2018 Panini Prizm Stained Glass Gold Mojo is not only one of the most visually satisfying cards featuring the dual threat living legend, but its also one of the rarest. The PSA 10 Panini Prizm Stained Glass Gold Mojo featuring Jackson accompanied by the iridescent 

As all lists tend to do, we know this may spark conversation, so while this is our take on who to chase, feel free to let us know which players you believe would’ve been on it if you were making the list yourself. Is there a rookie this season people should take a chance on like Pittsburgh’s first round draft pick, Kenny Pickett? Are you bias to the defense, and would like to see Dallas Cowboys anchor linebacker, Micah Parsons? The floor is yours!

Also, if you’re looking for a space to chat and expand your collection, hop on the Loupe app today with our trusted sellers to collect NFL stars of the past (like John Elway and ), the present (like Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers) or future (like Mac Jones, Justin Fields, and Aidan Hutchinson). Be sure to sign up too so you can get free Loupe credits to use on your first purchase!

Checklist

Joe Burrow Most Valuable Cards Checklist

Non-Autograph Rookie Cards	Autograph Rookie Cards
2019 Panini Select 2020 XRC Rookie Redemption Joe Burrow #301	2020 Panini National Treasures Joe Burrow RC #156 Autograph Patch #/99
2020 Panini Prizm Joe Burrow RC #307	2020 Immaculate Collection Joe Burrow RC Auto Patch #101 /99
2020 Panini Select Joe Burrow RC (Premier Level)	2020 Panini Prizm Joe Burrow Autograph #307
2020 Panini Spectra Joe Burrow Rookie Card #136 /99	Joe Burrow Flawless Gem Signatures

Justin Herbert Most Valuable Cards Checklist

Non-Autograph Rookie Cards	Autograph Rookie Cards
2020 Justin Herbert Prizm Color Blast SP RC #14	2020 Panini Contenders Justin Herbert RC #104 Autograph
2020 Justin Herbert Panini Absolute Kaboom RC #K-JH2	2020 Panini National Treasures Justin Herbert RC #158 Auto Patch #/99
2020 Panini Flawless Justin Herbert Rookie Card #103 /20	2020 Panini Immaculate Collection Justin Herbert RC #103 Auto Patch #/99
2020 Justin Herbert Panini Mosaic RC #204

Patrick Mahomes II Most Valuable Cards

Non-Autograph Rookie Cards	Autograph Rookie Cards
2017 Panini Prizm Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card #269	2017 Panini National Treasures Patrick Mahomes RC Auto Patch #161 (#/99)
2017 Select Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card #103	2017 Panini Impeccable Patrick Mahomes RC Autograph Patch/Helmet #107 (#/75)
2017 Elite Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card #155 /499	2017 Panini Flawless Patrick Mahomes RC Autograph #132 /20
2017 Donruss Optic Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card #177	2017 Panini Contenders Patrick Mahomes RC Autograph #303

Josh Allen Most Valuable Cards

Non-Autograph Rookie Cards	Autograph Rookie Cards
2018 Panini Prizm Josh Allen Rookie Card #205	2018 Panini National Treasures Josh Allen RC #163 Auto Patch #/99
2018 Panini Unparalleled Josh Allen Rookie Card #207	2018 Panini Immaculate Collection Josh Allen RC #104 Auto Patch #/99
2018 Panini Flawless Josh Allen RC #104 Ruby #/20	2018 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Josh Allen RC #105 Autograph
2018 Panini Kaboom Josh Allen RC #K-JA

Lamar Jackson, Most Valuable Cards

Non-Autograph Rookie Cards	Autograph Rookie Cards
2018 Panini Lamar Jackson Rookie Card #309	2018 Panini National Treasures Josh Allen RC #163 Auto Patch #/99
2018 Panini Prizm Stain Glass – Gold Mojo	2018 Panini Immaculate Collection Josh Allen RC #104 Auto Patch #/99
2018 Panini Flawless Lamar Jackson Rookie Card #106 /20	2018 Panini Contenders Rookie Ticket Josh Allen RC #105 Autograph
2018 Panini Obsidian Lamar Jackson Rookie Card #102 /100	2018 Absolute Lamar Jackson RC Auto Triple Mem #167 /75