Late in the NFL season, the hobby usually narrows its focus to playoff contenders, star quarterbacks, and established rookie chases. That is when the market can also create an opening for collectors who are willing to look one layer deeper on a depth chart.
When injuries hit or a struggling starter gives way, backup quarterbacks can move from low-cost stash plays to legitimate short-term hobby targets. The formula is simple: opportunity, team context, and available card supply. If a quarterback is about to get meaningful snaps for a competitive team, the market can react quickly, especially when key rookie cards are still affordable or when supply is unusually thin.
Four names stand out right now as potential late-season movers: Joe Fagnano, Shedeur Sanders, Carson Wentz, and J.J. McCarthy. Each one brings a very different card profile, from a player with almost no licensed cardboard available to a former hobby favorite trying to recapture relevance.
Joe Fagnano has scarcity working in his favor
Joe Fagnano may be the most unusual name on this list from a collecting perspective. Baltimore is expected to lean on the 25-year-old undrafted rookie from UConn after injuries hit the Ravens quarterback room, creating a situation where a previously overlooked player could suddenly be in one of the league's most visible spots.
For more collector background, read AuctionWire Aims to Help Collectors Track Down Grail Cards Across 70+ Auction Sites.
What makes Fagnano especially interesting is not just the opportunity. It is the lack of supply. He currently has just one officially licensed trading card circulating in the market, the 2026 Upper Deck World of Sports #107, which features him in his UConn uniform.
In a hobby that often reacts strongly to scarcity, that matters. A quarterback stepping into a starting role for a contender usually gets a quick search bump from collectors, flippers, and Ravens fans. When there is only one licensed card to chase, attention can become concentrated instead of spread across dozens of rookie-year releases, parallels, autographs, and inserts.
Recent sales for the base version of that card have landed in roughly the $35 to $80 range over the last two weeks. That is already a notable level for a player who has not yet built a deep mainstream card catalog. If Fagnano strings together competent performances or helps keep Baltimore on track, even a college-uniform base card could continue drawing action simply because it is the only real licensed option available.
For another perspective on this story, read Four NFL Backup Quarterback Card Markets to Watch as Playoff Stakes Rise.
Collectors should still recognize the risk here. Single-card markets can be volatile, and a player with limited track record can cool off just as quickly as he heats up. But in terms of pure scarcity plus fresh opportunity, few late-season quarterback plays are as easy to understand as Fagnano's.
Shedeur Sanders already has proof of concept in the hobby
Some speculative quarterback plays are based almost entirely on what might happen. Shedeur Sanders is a little different because the hobby has already shown what his market can look like when he is starting and drawing attention.
Sanders is back in the lineup for Cleveland with Deshaun Watson sidelined by injury. That return puts him back in a familiar hobby setup: a young quarterback with a recognizable name, a built-in collector following, and a chance to influence a team that remains in playoff contention.
Last season, Sanders went 3-4 as the Browns' starter. More importantly for collectors, his cards saw a real spike during that run. Multiple examples reportedly cleared the $10,000 mark while the market responded to the combination of playing time and upside. That past surge gives collectors a reference point for how quickly interest can return if the on-field results cooperate.
The biggest question with Sanders is whether this next stretch creates a sustained market move or only another short burst. Much of that will depend on wins, highlight moments, and whether Cleveland stays firmly in the postseason race. Quarterback prices often react less to long-term scouting debates and more to immediate relevance. If Sanders is putting points on the board in games that matter, his cards are likely to be watched closely again.
Collectors with a higher risk tolerance may view Sanders as one of the strongest upside plays in this group because he has already shown he can command major prices under the right conditions. That said, the market is unlikely to treat every Sanders card equally. Premium rookie autos, low-numbered parallels, and top-tier graded copies tend to benefit the most when a quarterback catches momentum.
Carson Wentz offers a veteran bounce-back angle
Carson Wentz is a very different hobby case from the younger quarterbacks on this list. He is not an unknown, and he is not a fresh rookie speculation target. Instead, he fits the veteran comeback template, where collectors start asking whether a player can revisit even a fraction of a previous market peak.
Wentz has served as an efficient reserve for Minnesota over the past two seasons, and he is now set to start against Buffalo as questions continue around Kyler Murray's health and effectiveness. That alone makes him relevant to late-season football conversations, especially if he can keep the Vikings competitive in meaningful games.
From a hobby standpoint, Wentz carries a built-in history that most backups do not. Back in 2017, before a season-ending knee injury changed the trajectory of his career, he generated serious collector buzz. One notable benchmark from that stretch was a PSA 10 example of his 2016 Panini National Treasures RPA /99, which sold for $6,891.98 in November 2017.
That figure is not a prediction for where his cards are headed now. It does, however, underline how strong the Wentz market once was. Veteran quarterbacks with a recognizable collecting footprint can sometimes get a temporary lift when they re-enter the spotlight, especially if nostalgia and affordability meet at the same time.
Wentz is probably less of a pure breakout play than Sanders or McCarthy, but he could still attract renewed interest from bargain hunters looking at former star-level cardboard now priced far below its peak. That kind of rebound attention tends to center on flagship rookie cards, premium rookie patch autos, and graded copies from his 2016 class.
If he plays well in prime-time or late-season games with playoff implications, the hobby may not need much encouragement to revisit his best early-career cards.
J.J. McCarthy has quickly returned to the hobby radar
J.J. McCarthy's situation is one of the more intriguing stories in this group because his market appears to have shifted sharply after a change in team context. When Jaxson Dart suffered a knee injury, the Giants moved to acquire McCarthy from Minnesota, and that trade has given both New York and McCarthy a new jolt of relevance.
Before the move, collector interest in McCarthy had cooled significantly. That can happen fast with young quarterbacks when the path to meaningful snaps is unclear. Once he landed in a situation where playing time became realistic and then productive, the market started paying attention again.
McCarthy's card appeal differs from Fagnano's because the supply picture is not especially thin. Instead, he offers collectors a larger menu of modern rookie material, including numbered autographs that are still being acquired at prices many buyers may see as reasonable compared with the ceilings attached to other young quarterbacks.
One recent data point illustrates the renewed attention: a PSA 10 example of his 2024 Prizm Deca Signatures Gold Shimmer First Off The Line Rookie Auto sold for $2,800 earlier this week. That is a strong result for a card that combines several things the market likes at once, including an autograph, limited treatment, a premium chromium brand, and a top condition grade.
McCarthy may be one of the easiest names on this list for collectors to approach strategically because there are multiple entry points. Buyers can look at lower-cost base rookies, selectively target numbered autos, or chase higher-end graded pieces depending on budget. If his play continues to keep the Giants competitive, his better rookie cards have room to stay active.
What collectors should watch over the next few weeks
Quarterback speculation late in the NFL season can move very quickly, but it is rarely random. A few factors will shape whether these four names become true hobby risers or only brief talking points.
Playing time and job security
The most obvious factor is whether each quarterback keeps the starting role long enough to matter. A one-week fill-in performance can create a small spike, but sustained growth usually needs multiple games and a believable path to remaining under center.
Team quality and playoff relevance
Collectors pay closer attention when wins carry postseason implications. Strong performances for teams in the hunt tend to create much more demand than empty stats on clubs drifting out of contention.
Card supply
Supply can amplify or mute a market reaction. Fagnano's lone licensed card makes him a scarcity-driven watchlist name. McCarthy's broader rookie portfolio gives collectors more options. Sanders and Wentz sit somewhere in between, with existing market awareness already in place.
Price discipline
Late-season quarterback runs can become emotional. Buyers often chase after a headline performance and push prices past reasonable short-term value. For collectors trying to stay disciplined, it helps to identify target cards before kickoff rather than buying after a breakout game.
Best card angles for each quarterback
- Joe Fagnano: 2026 Upper Deck World of Sports #107, currently the key licensed card tied to his sudden opportunity.
- Shedeur Sanders: premium rookie autos and low-numbered parallels that already have a history of reacting strongly to starting buzz.
- Carson Wentz: 2016 rookie cards, especially high-end pieces like National Treasures RPAs and top graded flagship rookies.
- J.J. McCarthy: numbered rookie autographs, with special attention on scarce Prizm autograph variations and strong graded copies.
Why this part of the season matters for quarterback cards
The second half of the NFL season often creates the hobby's fastest-moving quarterback windows. Backup passers who begin the year as afterthoughts can suddenly become relevant if they inherit meaningful snaps on teams still chasing January football. That is exactly why Fagnano, Sanders, Wentz, and McCarthy deserve attention right now.
Each player offers a different collecting case. Fagnano is the scarcity play. Sanders is the young starter with prior hobby momentum. Wentz is the veteran whose market once reached much higher levels. McCarthy is the recent reclamation story with attractive rookie auto options already trading hands. For collectors watching late-season value opportunities, this is the kind of quarterback tier that can become much more expensive in a matter of weeks.
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