New football cards hit market for 2024 NFL season

With the 2024 NFL season in full swing, we take a look at the latest new football cards on the market or hitting hobby shops soon.

2024 Score Football is one of the first officially licensed releases for the new NFL season.

The set, as usual, is a massive 400-card base offering, including 100 cards of the newly drafted rookie class, albeit in their college uniforms.

Hobby boxes boast 10 packs with a massive 40 cards per pack and 12 boxes per case. That's a lot of heavy lifting early in the season.

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In each Hobby box, collectors can expect around 90 rookie cards, four autographs, 10 parallels, and 36 various inserts.

For any collector old enough to remember Score cards of past years, the base set will heavily favor the 1990 design with a sprinkle of 1989 included. Just take one look and you will see what we mean.

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Collectors can expect to find familiar parallels, including End Zone, Showcase, and Gem Masters.

The autograph checklist is relatively deep. It features some (read: some) of the big rookies, a number of current players and a nice selection of retired veterans and legends.

Double Trouble is a nice dual-autograph insert that teams up linked players to form some pretty nice dual autographs, including one featuring Steve Young and Terrell Owens, for example.

Expect to find more ’90s-themed inserts, such as Hot Rookies, and even The Franchise insert returns with a somewhat ’90s feel.

Also See: New QBs, rookie cards to chase during 2024 NFL season 

For collectors looking for a little bit more of a chase, the lenticular Showtime insert will fill that want. This sharp subset is quite possibly the most eye-catching insert in the entire product.

As in years past, Score quenches the early thirst for a football product but it's quickly surpassed by nearly every product to step on the field after its release.

For right around $200 per box, it's the offensive line of cards, so don't expect a ton of value in the long run.

Also in September collectors can expect 2023 Topps Motif to debut on the football card field.

This product is unlicensed by the NFL, as it's released by Topps and Fanatics, which does not yet have a full NFL license. Don't expect to find any team logos or insignias. Though these cards are nicely designed and produced, there is still a major flaw and hole when we don't see those familiar team logos.

Also See: Collectors celebrate return of Topps Football 

Fanatics has tried to squeeze in a number of 2023 products in 2024 to capitalize on the popularity of some of the top rookie quarterbacks from the 2023 class that they have exclusive deals with, including white-hot Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud.

This will be the debut for the Motif brand. The line features a checklist of mostly retired stars with a few rookies sprinkled in that Fanatics has signed. Think Topps Composite with less cards but far better hits.

Motif is most definitely a high-end product, as hobby boxes feature eight cards, including six autographs, one parallel, and one base card.

The general look and feel of the cards scream premium as it offers an artistic design similar to Panini Origins, Impeccable or Topps Inception.

The autograph checklist is heavy and includes themes such as Acrylic Drip, Aquarelle Autographs, Canvas Champions, Gallery, Gridiron Legends, Headline Signatures, Motif Endorsements and Virtuoso Marks. You can expect to find some big veteran names such as Tom Brady, as well as the top tier rookie quarterbacks.

Also See: Rookie auto card from Tom Brady personal collection highlights Fanatics' ‘Holy Grails’ auction 

Stars from the 2023 rookie class are the only players featured in the autograph memorabilia cards in the set. Motif Cut cards are well thought out and include player-worn material and a signature that is the focal point of the card design.

With the release date initially scheduled for mid-September, this release will be one of the first high-end football products of the pre-licensed Topps and Fanatics era.

Fanatics isn't the only company releasing 2023 products well into the 2024 season.

One of the most impactful, important and valuable releases of the season, 2023 Panini National Treasures Football, is out. 

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Make no mistake, this is truly one of the premiere releases of the season.

This product is typically home to some of the most valuable rookie auto cards and veteran hits. But with this crazy card season, this particular release may be the first exception to that rule. Stroud and other top-flight rookies, such as Bryce Young, will not have RPAs due to their exclusive autograph contracts with Fanatics. These premier talents will most likely just have base cards with the potential of low numbering in parallel versions. That clearly knocks the wind out of the upper crust of this collection.

Hobby boxes boast eight cards—six autographs or memorabilia cards, one parallel, and one base card per box.

Aside from the straight RPAs, National Treasures will offer Rookie Jumbo Prime Signatures.

Collectors can also expect to find the popular Colossal Signatures once again. These, as you may imagine, feature a huge jersey piece accompanied with a player sig.

Elevated Ink is an insert booklet that opens to showcase a two-panel shot of the featured player in action with an autograph included.

Treasure Dual Cuts team up to offer an autograph from a current player with a cut signature from a prominent player of the past.

If you are a fan of the NFL shield on player jerseys, you have come to the right place as there are a few varieties (in incredibly limited quantities) featuring the iconic logo.

Also See: Panini jumps into NIL game with Panini College cards 

Gladiators is a well-done insert set that highlights the NFL's top players with select cards coming in limited-edition autographed versions.

All in all, even with the absence of some of the biggest rookie hits, National Treasures is still one of the behemoths of the hobby and a measuring stick by which all other premier releases will be judged.

— Tony Reid works in a hobby shop in Central Pennsylvania and collects RCs of star players in baseball, basketball and football. You can reach him at @tonyreidwrites on all social media platforms.