Auctions
Fernando Mendoza Rookie fever rising as NFL season kicks off
The NFL’s most-watched rookie this season—Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza—may not be a starter to open 2026, but collectors are all over him.
As Sports Illustrated reported, Mendoza, the NFL’s overall No. 1 draft pick, “was head-and-shoulders above every other prospect in what scouts considered to be a one-quarterback draft.” And in preseason action, SI added, he “looked like a franchise quarterback.”
Playing for a team desperately in need of a game-changing QB, Mendoza has a golden opportunity. And he’s just the kind of athlete to whom collectors gravitate. So at this early juncture in his story, here’s a look at three top Mendoza rookie cards changing hands in the hobby.
• 2026 Topps Now. Mendoza is captured in a suit and tie here, holding up his pointer finger to reflect that he’d just been drafted No. 1 by the Raiders. The Topps Now base card is reasonable enough; find it for under $5. But the rare variations? Whew! They’re already flying out of sight.
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Examples: An autographed Blue version marked #4/10 sold for $10,400 on 86 bids on eBay, even though it was ungraded. And a Black Foil variation marked #6/10 and graded PSA 10 sold for $9,701 on 105 bids.
• 2026 Topps Flagship. The vertical base card from this set can be had for $5-$10 in its no-frills form. But a horizontal signed insert patch card gets pricey. One example marked #29/50 sold for $7,700 on 51 bids.
A vertical insert from the set brought $4,300 on 93 bids. It was marked #2/10 and ungraded. A variation of that same insert (#32/99) sold for $3,850 on 81 bids.
Still another Flagship “First Signatures” insert turned up in multiple listings. Realized prices have ranged from $1,475 on 45 bids to $2,550 on 50 bids to $3,050 on 31 bids (all ungraded examples).
• 2025 Bowman Chrome. Bowman’s 2025 Chrome set included multiple insert variations of Mendoza rookies, each one showing him in his Indiana Hoosiers college uniform. One of the most desirable, a signed Red Refractor marked #3/5, sold for $7,500 on one bid. Another from the same run (#1/5) sold for $5,558 on 36 bids. And a Black Refractor marked #8/10 and graded PSA 10 attracted 64 bids, soaring to $6,766.
At some point this season or next, Mendoza will take the reins of the Raiders’ offense from veteran Kirk Cousins. At that point, an already-hot entity will heat up further, as long as he produces.
