Young QB rookie cards in demand entering 2025 NFL season

Second-year NFL quarterbacks make intriguing subjects: Will they continue evolving—or will they succumb to the dreaded sophomore slump?

With a new season upon us, we’ll find out soon how these four young-gun QBs fare:

• Jayden Daniels: Washington appears to be in good hands with their remarkably poised field general. All the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner did was lead Washington to a surprising 12-5 record, throwing for 25 touchdowns vs. only nine interceptions. He also ran for 891 yards and accounted for another six TDs.

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The big Daniels card the past month? A 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Downtown Gold insert sold for $18,000 on 38 bids. Marked #4/10, the card carried a grade of BGS 8.5.

A month earlier, an ungraded example of the same card, marked #8/10, sold for $17,000 on 39 bids.

Daniels’ 2023 Panini Select Prizm card also gets bidders going. A Gold Prizm marked #4/10 and graded BGS 9 brought $10,100 on 45 bids.

• Caleb Williams: Another dynamic young QB with Daniels-like versatility, Williams starred at USC before getting plucked by QB-hungry Chicago as the first overall pick. As a rookie, he hit some speed bumps early on, but by season’s end, he was looking comfortable. He finished with 20 TD passes and only six interceptions and rushed for 489 yards on 81 attempts.

In our previous installment of OA, we reported on a 2024 Panini Optic Downtown Gold card of Williams that brought $25,750 on 22 bids. That rarity, one of only 10, was graded PSA 10.

In late August, another Williams card busted out when his 2024 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Vertical Gold rookie sold for $16,025. It was marked #7/10 and graded BGS 9.

• Bo Nix: After starring at Auburn and Oregon in college, Nix went to the Broncos in the first round. A rocky start—zero TDs, four interceptions through three weeks—didn’t deter him. In the season’s remaining 14 games, Nix found his groove and threw 29 TDs vs. only eight interceptions, leading Denver to a playoff berth. The future looks bright for Bo and the Broncos.

Collectors agree, as evidenced by a key card in August. Some 88 bidders drove the price of a 2024 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold card marked #9/10 and graded PSA 10.

Another hot Nix sale: A Buy It Now deal saw a PSA 10 of his 2024 Panini Donruss Optic Gold card sell for $18,000. This was a “10” all around: #10/10 and PSA 10.

• Michael Penix Jr.: He was the second-stringer behind Kirk Cousins in Atlanta last season, but Penix started the final three games and showed promise, albeit pedestrian stats (three TDs, three INTs, and only a 58.1 completion percentage). For 2025, Cousins and Penix have flipped roles. The latter, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound lefty gunslinger, will have some spectacular tools with the Falcons, particularly Drake London and Bijan Robinson.

As a potential breakout candidate, Penix has attracted stunning collector attention. One eBay auction saw 38 bidders take a Penix card to an almost unbelievable $52,100 on 70 bids. The item in question? An ungraded 2024 Panini National Treasures Gold Vinyl signed patch card marked #1/1. The patch happened to be the classic NFL shield, helping push the price.

Another Penix piece that brought five figures: an ungraded 2024 Panini National Treasures Auto Patch card marked #2/2. This one sold for $13,100 on 26 bids. Again, the patch helped; it was a Nike “swoosh” cut from a jersey.

Penix joins NFL QB stars Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen on our monthly Top 10 chart of the top card sales on eBay, while Nix joins Joe Burrow on our Next 10 list.

1. $96,100 on 20 bids: 2017 Panini National Treasures Patrick Mahomes II Gold, #2/10, auto patch (PSA 10)

2. $77,877 on 64 bids: 2015-16 Upper Deck Connor McDavid High Gloss Young Guns, #10/10 (BGS 9)

3. $54,109 on 84 bids: 2009 Bowman Chrome Mike Trout Orange Refractor, #1/25, auto (BGS 9.5)

4. $52,100 on 70 bids: 2024 Panini National Treasures Michael Penix Jr. Gold Vinyl, #1/1, auto patch (NFL shield) (ungraded)

5. $45,100 on 76 bids: 2001 Upper Deck SP Authentic Tiger Woods Authentic Stars Gold, #87/100, auto (BGS 9.5)

6. $41,100 on 63 bids: 2013 Upper Deck Metal Universe Employee Exclusive Hulk Hogan Purple Precious Metal Gems, #51/125 (PSA 10)

7. $36,887 on 57 bids: 1921 Exhibits Babe Ruth (PSA 6)

8. $33,000 on 33 bids: 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan (PSA 6)

9. $32,900 on 74 bids: 2018 Panini Contenders Optic Josh Allen Rookie Ticket Gold, #4/10, auto (PSA 9)

10. $32,091 on 87 bids: 2017-18 Panini Flawless Kobe Bryant Gold, #7/10, auto patch (PSA 9)

• $27,600 on 45 bids: 2018-19 Panini National Treasures Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, #7/20, auto patch (BGS 8.5)

• $25,100 on 51 bids: 2006-07 Fleer E-X Jambalaya Michael Jordan (BGS 9.5)

• $25,000 on 1 bid: 2024 Wild Card Soccer Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi Double Splat, #1/1, dual autos (ungraded)

• $23,681 on 81 bids: 2003-04 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Kobe Bryant Exquisite Patches, #48/100, auto patch (BGS 8.5)

• $23,312 on 61 bids: 1984 Fleer Update Kirby Puckett with secondary-market autograph (PSA 9, PSA/DNA auto 8)

• $23,101 on 88 bids: 2024 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Bo Nix Gold, #9/10 (PSA 10)

• $22,988 on 40 bids: 2020 Panini Prizm Joe Burrow Gold Vinyl, #3/5, auto (PSA 8)

• $22,700 on 79 bids: 2019-20 Panini Contenders Kobe Bryant (“Charlotte Drafts Teen, Trades Him to Lakers”), auto (PSA 10, auto PSA/DNA 10)

• $22,287 on 43 bids: 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. with secondary-market autograph (PSA 10, auto PSA/ENA 10)

• $22,200 on 72 bids: 2014-15 Panini Flawless Kobe Bryant Ruby, #8/15, auto patch (ungraded)