The first full wave of in-season football card movement is already producing major results, and this week’s biggest sales leaned heavily toward established icons. With collectors still early in the NFL calendar and high-end buyers chasing blue-chip names, three cards separated themselves from the rest of the market: a low-numbered Tom Brady Kaboom! Gold, a premium Patrick Mahomes rookie patch autograph, and a signed Walter Payton rookie card.
Each sale tells a slightly different story. Brady’s result reflects the long-running strength of his premium inserts and serial-numbered parallels. Mahomes continues to command elite pricing in top rookie formats, especially when National Treasures is involved. Payton’s appearance in the top tier shows that vintage Hall of Fame material, particularly signed rookie cards, still has a powerful place in the modern market.
Here is OTIA Sports’ Top 3 football card sales of the week.
Top 3 Football Card Sales of the Week
1. 2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold /10 Tom Brady BGS 9
Sale price: $93,750
For more collector background, read Paige Bueckers Leads 2025 Donruss WNBA’s Biggest Sales, but Caitlin Clark Still Owns the Top Spot.
Sale date: September 17, 2026
The top spot this week belongs to Tom Brady, whose 2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold /10 in a BGS 9 holder reached $93,750. Even in a market filled with star quarterbacks and premium rookie cards, Brady remains one of the safest and strongest names in football collecting, and this sale reinforced that status.
Kaboom! has become one of the hobby’s signature modern insert brands, with broad appeal that extends well beyond player collectors. The design has strong recognition, the print runs on gold versions are tight, and the card benefits from a visual format that has consistently attracted high-end buyers. Put Brady on a Gold /10 example from one of the hobby’s most popular insert lines and the result is exactly what collectors would expect: a headline sale.
For another perspective on this story, read Tom Brady Kaboom! Gold Tops a $93,750 Week for Football Cards.
This card also hits a sweet spot in Brady’s market. It is not a traditional rookie card, but it does not need to be. Collectors have shown for years that premium Brady inserts, refractors, color parallels and low-numbered showcase pieces can perform at a level far above typical non-rookie issues. That effect becomes even stronger when the card comes from a well-established ultra-modern chase set.
Brady’s long-term hobby strength is built on multiple foundations. He is the most decorated quarterback in NFL history, he has broad crossover recognition, and his card market has remained liquid across multiple eras of collecting. Buyers are not just paying for a great player. They are paying for a centerpiece asset tied to one of the most collected football names ever produced.
At $93,750, this Kaboom! Gold joins the growing list of post-rookie Brady cards that can still command elite prices when rarity, brand power and visual appeal line up.
2. 2017 National Treasures Patrick Mahomes Jersey Number Auto /15 BGS 9.5
Sale price: $90,000
Sale date: September 17, 2026
Patrick Mahomes was right behind Brady with a $90,000 sale for a 2017 National Treasures Jersey Number Auto /15 graded BGS 9.5. For modern football, it is hard to design a more hobby-friendly formula than Mahomes plus National Treasures plus a low-numbered rookie autograph patch card.
National Treasures remains one of the most respected high-end rookie card brands in football, and Mahomes is one of the defining quarterbacks of his era. When those two elements come together on a premium card with a strong grade, collectors respond aggressively. This example includes a tricolor patch in Kansas City colors and an on-card blue autograph, adding both visual appeal and premium-level presentation.
The jersey-numbered concept gives the card an extra layer of collector interest. Serial numbering that matches a player’s jersey number often carries a prestige factor in the hobby, and in Mahomes’ case the /15 format creates a natural talking point because it aligns directly with his number. That kind of thematic match does not replace rarity or player demand, but it can amplify both when the card is already desirable.
Mahomes has now spent years proving he belongs in the hobby’s upper tier. His market is no longer driven by novelty or early-career speculation alone. Instead, it is supported by a sustained combination of championships, MVP-level play, national visibility and established collector confidence. That makes his best rookie cards some of the most closely watched football assets in the modern era.
The $90,000 result also underscores how selective the market has become. Buyers may not chase every Mahomes card at the same level, but truly premium rookie pieces continue to attract serious spending. A BGS 9.5 on a National Treasures auto patch numbered to 15 fits squarely in that category.
For collectors tracking top-end quarterback cards, this sale is another reminder that Mahomes remains one of the key names setting the pace in football.
3. 1976 Topps Walter Payton #148 CGC 8 / Auto 9
Sale price: $73,200
Sale date: September 18, 2026
Walter Payton claimed the third spot with a $73,200 sale for a 1976 Topps rookie card, graded CGC 8 with a 9 autograph grade. Among the three biggest sales this week, this may be the card with the broadest cross-generational appeal. It combines vintage football history, rookie-card status, Hall of Fame significance and a strong certified autograph on one of the sport’s most recognizable cardboard issues.
Payton’s rookie card has always carried weight in football collecting. As one of the defining running backs in NFL history, his key rookie issue has long been a target for both vintage specialists and Hall of Fame collectors. Adding a high-quality signature raises the ceiling even further, especially when the base card itself presents at a strong grade.
Signed rookie cards sit in a particularly interesting lane of the market. They bridge two important hobby preferences at once: the long-term stability of iconic rookie cards and the scarcity-driven appeal of authenticated autographs. In Payton’s case, that pairing can be especially powerful because his signed material is tied to one of the most beloved legends in the sport.
The result also reflects how healthy the upper end of vintage football remains when the right card surfaces. Modern patch autos and rare inserts often dominate weekly sales discussions, but this transaction shows that legendary pre-modern cardboard still has the ability to compete directly with contemporary stars. For advanced collectors, a clean and desirable signed rookie card from a player of Payton’s stature offers a different kind of prestige than ultra-modern product.
There is also a condition element worth noting. A CGC 8 on a 1976 Topps Walter Payton rookie is already significant, and the Auto 9 gives buyers another confidence point. Those two grades together help explain why this copy reached a level well above what a standard unsigned example would typically command.
For vintage football collectors, this sale is a strong signal that elite Hall of Fame rookie cards with quality signatures remain firmly in demand.
What These Three Sales Say About the Football Card Market
This week’s Top 3 paints a clear picture of where collector money is flowing. Buyers were not simply chasing one category. Instead, the strongest results came from three distinct corners of the football card world.
Brady represents the enduring strength of iconic modern-era legends, especially on premium inserts with low serial numbers. Mahomes shows that the highest-end rookie patch autograph market remains active for active superstar quarterbacks. Payton confirms that vintage Hall of Fame cards, particularly signed rookies with strong eye appeal and grading, still command major respect at auction and in private sale tracking.
That mix matters. It suggests the market is not relying on one narrow trend. Instead, there is demand across multiple collector profiles, from those focused on modern ultra-premium brands to those building around all-time greats and cornerstone rookie cards.
It is also notable that all three cards offer a premium scarcity hook. Brady’s card is a Gold /10. Mahomes’ card is limited to 15 copies and tied to his jersey number. Payton’s card is a signed rookie with strong third-party grading. In each case, collectors had a reason to view the card as more than a standard key issue. Scarcity, prestige and player legacy all aligned.
Early in the NFL season, that kind of buying pattern makes sense. The market often looks to established names first, especially before a larger volume of current-season material arrives and before younger players have enough in-season momentum to reshape the weekly leaderboard. For now, proven greatness is still driving the biggest football transactions.
Card Details at a Glance
- Tom Brady: 2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! Gold /10, BGS 9, sold for $93,750 on September 17, 2026
- Patrick Mahomes: 2017 National Treasures Jersey Number Auto /15, BGS 9.5, sold for $90,000 on September 17, 2026
- Walter Payton: 1976 Topps #148, CGC 8 / Auto 9, sold for $73,200 on September 18, 2026
For collectors watching weekly football market action, these three results set an early-season benchmark. Premium Brady inserts remain blue-chip material, Mahomes’ best rookie autos are still among the hobby’s most important active-player cards, and vintage legends like Walter Payton continue to draw serious bids when elite signed rookie examples hit the market.
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