2026 Bowman Football Checklist, Set Details, Team Lists and Arch Manning First Cards

2026 Bowman Football brings a notable format change to the brand by placing active college players and NFL standouts in the same release. Bowman has blended pro and college imagery before, but this edition is built around that crossover in a more direct way, combining a veteran-and-rookie base set with a large prospect lineup loaded with 1st Bowman appeal.

The product also delivers a headline many collectors were waiting for: Arch Manning appears on Topps-branded cards for the first time. He lands in the Prospects lineup as card No. BPP-201 and BCP-201, giving the checklist one of its biggest chase names right out of the gate.

At the time the checklist was published, hobby pack, box and case configurations had not been announced. A Topps.com pre-order is scheduled for September 8, 2026.

2026 Bowman Football at a glance

• Release year: 2026
• Brand: Bowman Football
• Pre-order date: September 8, 2026
• Base set: 200 cards
• Prospects set: 201 cards
• Total paper base and prospect cards: 401
• Chrome versions: All 401 base and prospect cards also have Chrome counterparts
• Hobby pack, box and case details: TBA

The 200-card base set is split evenly between 100 veterans and 100 rookies. On the college side, the 201-card Prospects checklist is where most of the 1st Bowman attention sits. That structure gives the product two distinct lanes: established NFL stars and incoming college talent.

How the 2026 Bowman Football checklist is built

The main base checklist mixes proven NFL names with a large rookie group. Veterans include players such as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes II, Joe Burrow, Caleb Williams, Justin Herbert, Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. Rookies include Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Garrett Nussmeier, Carson Beck, Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Jeremiyah Love, Jadarian Price, Caleb Downs and others.

The companion Prospects checklist stretches to 201 cards and covers a wide range of active college players. Some of the more prominent names appearing across the prospect and insert lineup include Arch Manning, CJ Carr, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Bryce Underwood, Bear Bachmeier, LaNorris Sellers, Darian Mensah, Josh Hoover, Kewan Lacy, Drew Mestemaker, Cam Coleman and Jayden Maiava.

Because every one of the 401 base and prospect cards has a Chrome version, Bowman collectors get a familiar layered chase. Paper offers the broad checklist foundation, while Chrome helps drive premium interest through refractors, autograph versions and short-print styles.

Arch Manning headlines the prospect side

Manning is the late addition at card No. 201 in both the paper and Chrome Prospects checklists. His first appearance is not limited to the main prospect slot, either. He also shows up in Chrome Prospect Autographs as BCPA-AMA and appears in at least two short-print insert lines with Anime (NIL) and Bowman GPK (NIL).

Texas is one of the deeper college spots in the product beyond Manning alone. The Longhorns group includes Cam Coleman, James Simon, Hollywood Smothers, Emmett Mosley V, Graceson Littleton and Ryan Niblett in the prospect pool, plus insert and autograph coverage across multiple subsets. That makes Texas one of the most important schools in the release for college-focused collectors.

Red RC Variations add a new football chase

One of the more unusual additions to 2026 Bowman Football is the Red RC Variations program. The concept comes from Fanatics and now makes the jump into football. Collectors who pull one of these cards can later redeem it for Fanatics FanCash if the player reaches specific career milestones, beginning with Rookie of the Year honors.

The Red RC checklist has 30 cards. Featured names include Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Drew Allar, Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, Cole Payton, Taylen Green, Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Malachi Fields, Denzel Boston, Chris Brazzell II, Germie Bernard, Omar Cooper Jr., Ted Hurst, De'Zhaun Stribling, Zachariah Branch, Antonio Williams, Caleb Douglas, Ja'Kobi Lane, Brenen Thompson, Jeremiyah Love, Jonah Coleman, Emmett Johnson, Jadarian Price, Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers.

For rookie collectors, that gives the set an extra layer beyond standard parallels and autograph chases. It also makes a select group of rookie cards stand out in a release that already has a broad first-year player pool.

Notable variations and specialty cards

Beyond the Red RC program, Bowman is using several premium-style variation concepts in this release.

Etched In Glass

The NFL Etched In Glass checklist has 15 cards and includes Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes II, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Matthew Stafford, Jaxson Dart, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye, Jahmyr Gibbs, Justin Jefferson, Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson and Jeremiyah Love.

There is also a 15-card NIL Etched In Glass group with CJ Carr, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Drew Mestemaker, Darian Mensah, Kewan Lacy, Marcel Reed, Josh Hoover, JC French IV, Demond Williams Jr., Kamario Taylor, LaNorris Sellers, Cam Coleman, Parker Livingstone, Jayden Maiava and Kenny Minchey.

Walter Payton Retrofractor

One of the most distinctive one-off cards in the set is the Walter Payton Retrofractor, listed as BCR-WP. It presents Payton with Jackson State University branding and functions as a special after-the-fact 1st Bowman-style concept.

Autographs run deep across paper, Chrome and themed inserts

Autographs are one of the biggest pillars of 2026 Bowman Football. Most players from the base and prospect checklists have signed versions, with paper and Chrome autograph formats both in play.

The main autograph categories include Base Autographs, Chrome Autographs, Base Rookie Autographs, Chrome Rookie Autographs, Base Prospect Autographs and Chrome Prospect Autographs. That means collectors can chase everything from established stars to rookie names to college prospects in signed form.

Among NFL autograph names are Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey, Jalen Hurts, Aaron Rodgers, T.J. Watt, Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Xavier Worthy, Ashton Jeanty, Brock Bowers, Puka Nacua and Jayden Daniels. Rookie autograph checklists feature names such as Carson Beck, Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Jordyn Tyson, Caleb Downs, Fernando Mendoza, Garrett Nussmeier, KC Concepcion, Makai Lemon, De'Zhaun Stribling and Sonny Styles.

On the college side, Chrome Prospect Autographs include one of the deepest chases in the product, with Arch Manning, CJ Carr, Bryce Underwood, Darian Mensah, LaNorris Sellers, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Kewan Lacy, Josh Hoover, Drew Mestemaker, Cam Coleman, Jayden Maiava and many more.

1955 All American returns

A nostalgic 1955 All American design is worked into the release with both signed and unsigned versions. The five-card lineup features Barry Sanders, Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Ray Lewis and Steve Young in college-themed presentations.

Multi-signed autograph highlights

Multi-signature cards add another premium layer. Bowman Dual Cross Sport Autographs pair football names with stars from other sports who attended the same school. The three confirmed pairings are:

• Joe Burrow and Paul Skenes, LSU
• Anthony Edwards and Matthew Stafford, Georgia
• Vince Young and Kevin Durant, Texas

Dual and triple autograph sets expand the checklist further. Key combinations include Eli Manning and Jaxson Dart, Ty Simpson and Fernando Mendoza, CJ Carr and Joe Montana, Bryce Underwood and Tom Brady, Malik Nabers with Jayden Daniels and Brian Thomas Jr., plus Garrett Wilson with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Insert checklist overview

Bowman spreads its inserts across both the NFL and college sides, with standard inserts, short prints and mega box exclusives all represented.

College-focused inserts

Prospect and NIL-driven insert lines include Bowman Verified, Gen Next, Talent Tracker and Very Important Prospects. These sets repeatedly spotlight names such as CJ Carr, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Bryce Underwood, Bear Bachmeier, Demond Williams Jr., Darian Mensah, Kewan Lacy, Josh Hoover, LaNorris Sellers, Cam Coleman, Drew Mestemaker and Jayden Maiava.

Mega Prospects is exclusive to mega boxes and uses patterned Mojo Refractor parallels. The 25-card checklist includes CJ Carr, Drew Mestemaker, Bear Bachmeier, Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, Kamario Taylor, Caden Durham, Demond Williams Jr., Kenny Minchey, Josh Hoover, Jayden Maiava, Marcel Reed, Kewan Lacy, Darian Mensah, Cutter Boley, Anthony Colandrea, LaNorris Sellers, Dylan Lonergan, Jared Curtis, Lunch Winfield, Bo Jackson, Parker Livingstone, Chase Jenkins, JC French IV, Jaden Craig and Bryce Underwood.

NFL-focused inserts

On the pro side, collectors get Greatness Loading, Hobby Stars, ROY Favorites, Rockstar Rookies and Young Kings. Greatness Loading leans rookie, with names such as Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier, Cade Klubnik, Drew Allar, Carnell Tate, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Caleb Downs and Mansoor Delane.

Mega Rookies is also a mega box exclusive and includes Fernando Mendoza, Ty Simpson, Carson Beck, Garrett Nussmeier, Drew Allar, Jordyn Tyson, Makai Lemon, KC Concepcion, Carnell Tate, De'Zhaun Stribling, Chris Bell, Ja'Kobi Lane, Jeremiyah Love, David Bailey, Jadarian Price, Cade Klubnik, Nick Singleton, Jonah Coleman, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles, Caleb Downs, Rueben Bain Jr. and Mansoor Delane.

Hobby Stars focuses on established names like Derrick Henry, Patrick Mahomes II, Christian McCaffrey, Caleb Williams, Micah Parsons, Brock Purdy, Bijan Robinson, Jahmyr Gibbs, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Justin Jefferson, Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence.

Short-print style concepts

Short-print themed inserts include Anime, Bowman GPK, Bowman Spotlight and Crystallized. These are split between NFL and NIL formats. Arch Manning is part of Anime (NIL) and Bowman GPK (NIL), while star rookies and veterans such as Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes II, Joe Burrow, Jaxson Dart, Fernando Mendoza, Drew Allar, Cade Klubnik, Carnell Tate and Jordyn Tyson appear across the NFL short-print groups.

Quick checklist essentials

• Base set size: 200 cards
• Prospects set size: 201 cards
• Chrome base variations: 200 cards
• NFL Etched In Glass: 15 cards
• NIL Etched In Glass: 15 cards
• Red RC Variations: 30 cards
• Base Autographs: 162 cards
• Chrome Autographs: 69 cards
• Base Rookie Autographs: 95 cards
• Chrome Rookie Autographs: 97 cards
• Base Prospect Autographs: 193 cards
• Chrome Prospect Autographs: 194 cards
• 1955 All American Autographs: 5 cards
• Bowman Dual Cross Sport Autographs: 3 cards
• Dual Autographs: 5 total cards across NFL and NIL
• Triple Autographs: 5 total cards across NFL and NIL

Some of the strongest NFL rookie team pockets

Several NFL team sections stand out based on rookie volume and insert overlap. The Arizona Cardinals have Carson Beck and Jeremiyah Love, both of whom also appear in Red RC Variations, Greatness Loading, Mega Rookies, ROY Favorites and other rookie-focused subsets. The Los Angeles Rams have Ty Simpson in nearly every major rookie chase format, including Red RC, Greatness Loading, Mega Rookies, Rockstar Rookies and a dual autograph with Fernando Mendoza.

The New York Jets are another deep stop, anchored by Cade Klubnik, Omar Cooper Jr., Kenyon Sadiq, David Bailey and D'Angelo Ponds. The Kansas City Chiefs also have strong rookie coverage with Garrett Nussmeier, Emmett Johnson, Mansoor Delane and Peter Woods alongside veteran stars Patrick Mahomes II, Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy.

On the college side, Texas, Notre Dame, California, Miami, Michigan, USC and Oklahoma State each carry major weight thanks to how often their prospects repeat across prospect inserts and autograph formats.

Collector notes for the release

For prospect-first collectors, the center of gravity is clearly the 201-card Prospects set and its Chrome counterpart. For rookie-card collectors, the key chase points are the 100-card rookie half of the base set, the Red RC Variations, and the themed rookie inserts such as Greatness Loading, Mega Rookies, ROY Favorites and Rockstar Rookies.

The product also has strong appeal for design chasers thanks to Bowman Spotlight, Crystallized, Anime, Etched In Glass and the 1955 All American throwbacks. Add in the Walter Payton Retrofractor and the cross-sport autograph checklist, and 2026 Bowman Football shapes up as a release with more than one entry point for collectors once boxes and pack formats are finalized.

Print runs for non-serial-numbered cards had not been announced when the checklist was released, and hobby box details remained unavailable ahead of the September 8 pre-order date.