Aaron Rodgers Football Cards You Should Know About
Summary & Career Highlights
Rookie Year: 2005-06
Iconic Rookie Card: 2005-06 Topps #431
Highest Public Sale: 2005-06 SP Authentic #252 Gold Patch Auto /25 for $225k in December 2021 on Fanatics Vault (Formerly PWCC Vault)
Similar Career Players: Roger Staubach, Kurt Warner, Patrick Mahomes, Dan Fouts, Cam Newton, Tom Brady, Russell Wilson, Matt Ryan, Philip Rivers
Players with Similar Cards to Check Out: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers
Career Highlights
4x MVP (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021)
SuperBowl Champion (2010)
SuperBowl XLV MVP (2010)
4x First-Team All Pro (2011, 2014, 2020, 2021)
1x Second-Team All Pro (2012)
10x Pro Bowl
NFL All Decades Team (2010's)
NFL Career Leader in Passer Rating (103.6)
Highest Single Season Passer Rating (122.5 in 2011)
Lowest Interception % in a Season (0.3% in 2018)
Iconic Cards
Icon Key
Prospective Card Cost:
💰 - Under $250
💰💰- Under $1,000
💰💰💰- Under $5,000
💰💰💰💰- Under $15,000
💰💰💰💰💰- Over $15,000
Rarity:
💎 - Common & High Serial Number
💎💎- Serial Numbered or Pop Under 200
💎💎💎 - Serial Numbered or Pop Under 100
💎💎💎💎 - Serial Number or Pop Under 50
💎💎💎💎💎 - Does this card even exist? Serial Number or Pop under 10
2005-06 Upper Deck Foundations
#SF-AR Signature Foundations Silver
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎
About the Card: Collectors have the opportunity to add a Rodgers rookie autograph at an affordable price point through Upper Deck Foundations. While it lags behind Exquisite, Ultimate Collection, and SP Authentic in brand recognition, Foundations delivers high-quality autos with compelling parallels.His Signature Foundations Silver autograph is a short-printed insert auto that also has a gold parallel numbered to 20 and a platinum one-of-one parallel (Which has yet to surface publicly). Rodgers lacks a non-autographed base card, but is also featured as card #260 in the base checklist with an autographed card numbered to 175. His base auto also had an exclusive gold parallel numbered to 25 for collectors looking to add both gold autos from the set to their collection.
2005-06 Bowman Chrome
#221 Bronze Refractor Auto /50
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Rodgers’ lone appearance in the 2005-06 Bowman Chrome base checklist is card #221, a sticker autograph hand numbered to 199 copies. His base autograph is considered a true rookie, just like his other Topps rookie autographs in Bowman’s Best, Finest, and Pristine. Yet Bowman Chrome’s parallels make it special. Rodgers didn’t have any parallels in Bowman’s Best or Finest, and only had an uncirculated refractor in Pristine. Bowman Chrome on the other hand featured a bronze refractor parallel numbered to 50, silver refractor numbered to 10, and one of Rodgers’ most desirable rookies, a gold refractor one-of-one. Plus, the image of Rodgers in-game and mid step-back is one of the best amongst his rookies.
2005-06 Playoff Contenders
#101 Rookie Ticket Auto
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: Contenders is the home of the Rookie Ticket Autograph. Popularized by big QB Rookie Ticket Auto sales from Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Tom Brady, Contenders became the brand to chase. Rodgers’ 2005-06 Rookie Ticket Autograph was not-numbered, but Donruss revealed a print run of 530 copies. Despite its relatively high print run, it frequently outsells his other serial numbered and shorter printed rookie autographs. Contenders also released two parallels to this card. The Playoff Ticket parallel is serial numbered to 25 copies but is not autographed, while the Championship Ticket parallel is an autographed one-of-one. The Championship Ticket auto has not publicly surfaced, but is widely considered to be Rodgers’ best card.
2005-06 Exquisite
#106 Jersey Patch Auto /199
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎
About the Card: Upper Deck Exquisite football debuted in 2005-06 with a 128 card base checklist. 85 of those players were rookies whose base card included a dual game-used jersey swatch, hard-signed autograph, and was serial numbered to 199. It shouldn’t be surprising that Rodger’s Exquisite rookie is one of his most expensive cards. It’s his only rookie card to feature all these elements AND use a photo depicting Rodgers in live game action. There’s also a holofoil parallel serial numbered to 5 that could shatter Rodgers’ all-time high sale if one ever came to auction.
2005-06 Leaf Certified Materials
#162 Mirror Gold /25
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Leaf does not have the same name recognition as Topps, Upper Deck, or Panini, but their 2005 sets offered Rodgers collectors a unique proposition. Unlike Topps and Upper Deck, where chromium non-auto gold parallels were virtually non-existent, Leaf gave collectors three options: Leaf Certified Materials Mirror Gold /25, Leaf Limited Gold Spotlight /10, and Leaf Rookies and Stars Longevity Gold /99. The Mirror Gold parallel made the list due to its unique combination of rarity, aesthetics, and brand recognition. Its mid-90's lineage stokes nostalgia, yet is relatively affordable amongst Rodgers' top cards.
2005-06 SP Authentic
#252 Rookie Jersey Auto /99
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: Aaron Rodgers has rookie patch autographs in Exquisite, SPx, SP Authentic, and Ultimate Collection; all of which are Upper Deck products. Luckily for collectors, there are a few options to choose from. With SP Authentic, collectors have a hard-signed card serial numbered to 99 that can be had for a reasonable price. Sure, Rodgers is in a practice jersey, but that’s not uncommon for Rodgers’ rookie year. Rodgers’ Rookie Authentics was also released in a gold parallel serial numbered to 25, a rookie redemption serial numbered to 5, and a 1-of-1 shield.
2005-06 SPx
#AR Rookie Winning Materials Autographed /25
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: 2005-06 SPx delivered yet another Upper Deck Rodgers rookie patch autograph. The SPx Rookie Winning Materials is a memorabilia card featuring dual game-used patches, yet they weren’t from an NFL game. Huh? According to card back, the bottom swatch is from a game-used jersey worn while Rodgers was at the University of California Berkeley while the top patch is presumably from the 2005 NFL rookie photo shoot. Upper Deck also released an autographed version shown here, serial numbered to 25 copies. The horizontal orientation and sticker auto are characteristics that keep some collectors away, but offer a more accessible price point for others.
2005-06 Topps
#431 Black
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: Maybe Topps had limited photo choices? But why did they choose this image? The now iconic photo of a flat-footed Rodgers in a Packers practice uniform is the face of 2005-06 Topps and Topps Chrome. Despite the unfortunate photo choice, Rodgers’ base Topps card has over 14,000 graded copies and counting. Collectors are loyal to the brand! 2005-06 Topps also released a non-numbered black parallel, a 50th anniversary rookie parallel numbered to 50, a gold parallel numbered to 50, and a platinum one-of-one. The black parallel featured here, is prone to chipping, making it condition sensitive and tough to find in a high grade copy.
2005-06 Topps Chrome
#190 50th Anniversary Retro Rookies Gold Refractor /50
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Typically autographs are rarer than their base counterparts, but 2005 Topps products are different. In 2005 Topps released four chromium based products: Bowman (A semi-chrome product), Bowman’s Best, Finest, and Topps Chrome. Topps Chrome was the only one where Rodgers had a non-autograph base card. Yet somehow, Topps figured out a way to include another autograph when they added a sticker autograph to his gold x-fractor parallel numbered to 399. Collectors looking for non-auto parallels have a refractor, a black refractor serial numbered to 100, and a 50th anniversary rookies gold parallel serial numbered to 50 to choose from.
2005-06 Ultimate Collection
#242 Autograph /99
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: 2005 Ultimate Collection features two sets of hard-signed Rodgers autographs. It’s sort of tough to tell the difference between them though. Rodgers’ base card is #242, a hard-signed autograph serial-numbered to 99. The subset, “Ultimate Rookie Signatures", was also released in a holofoil parallel serial numbered 5 copies. That’s pretty straightforward, but the confusion sets in when you see Rodgers also has an autograph as part of the “Ultimate Signatures” insert set. Numbered to 75, Ultimate Signatures have a similar design to the “Ultimate Rookie Signatures”. They even have a holofoil parallel numbered 5 in addition to a gold parallel numbered 10. While the "Ultimate Rookie Signatures" is viewed more favorably because of its inclusion in the base checklist, you can't go wrong with any Rodgers 2005 Ultimate Collection cards.
2005-06 Ultra
#202 Platinum Medallion /13
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Fleer first introduced the “Lucky 13” in their 2003 Ultra basketball product. 13 of the key rookies from the set would be included as redemptions numbered to 500 copies. In 2005 Ultra, Fleer took the “Lucky 13” scarcity to another level. Platinum Medallions would be numbered to 50, except for 17 rookies who would be numbered to 25, and a group of 13 rookies dubbed the “Lucky 13” who were numbered to 13. Its one of Rodgers’ rarest rookie parallels and is popular with collectors who have collected platinum medallions since their 90’s debut.
2009-10 Finest
#22 Pigskin Gold Refractor /25
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰-💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: There are many Topps Finest cards deserving of being on this list. In fact, there are Rodgers collectors who only collect his rare Finest parallels. 2009 though, stands out as particularly unique because of the pigskin refractor. The embossed parallel mimics the texture of a football and is unlike anything ever tried before. The gold pigskin refractor adds the gold refractor shine and additional rarity with a print run of 25 copies. If you’re interested in rare Finest parallels, make sure to check out the “Honorable Mentions” section below.
2011-12 Topps Chrome
#100 Crystal Atomic Refractor /139
Prospective Card Cost: 💰-💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎
About the Card: What makes a non-rookie card special? Rarity? Aesthetics? Brand recognition? How about all 3? That’s what Topps delivered in 2011-12 with the Crystal Atomic Refractor. Falling one per hobby box and serial numbered to 139 copies, the Crystal Atomic Refractor was the next evolution of the atomic refractor cardstock originally used in 1998 Bowman’s Best. Despite its popularity, 2011-12 would be the lone appearance of the Crystal Atomic refractor. Collectors didn’t need to wait long though as the cardstock was once again resurrected for various Panini parallels, continuing the legacy of the iconic cardstock.
2012 Prizm
#69 Pylon 1/1
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎💎
About the Card: The 2012-13 Prizm debut features the iconic gold Prizm, known for it’s rarity and its rich gold visuals. It also features the silver Prizm, a parallel that brought the refractor shine to Panini products and provided a more affordable chase for the common collector. But the parallel I want to talk about is the mythical Prizm Pylon Orange one-of-one. Each corner of the card is highlighted with neon orange shading while the player’s outline is embossed in the same color. The vibrant highlights makes the card feel alive and complements the base card design well. Its a parallel that feels significant in hand, which I believe is the key trait of a successful parallel. The Prizm Pylon Orange would lose out to the Black Finite as the Prizm one-of-one parallel of choice in future releases, but that makes the 2012 release all the more special.
2018-19 Panini
#AR Kaboom
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰-💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎-💎💎💎
About the Card: Kabooms were released in 2018 as a multi-sport offering through the Panini Rewards program. The 50 subject checklist features football, basketball, baseball, and soccer's biggest stars and was offered in the base parallel pictured above, a gold parallel numbered to 10, and green 1/1. Kabooms would go on to be case hits in future Panini products and have become one of the most popular yet polarizing inserts Panini has released. A fun, comic-inspired insert with the potential to collect across years and products.
A Few of My Favorites
Didn’t get your fill of Rodgers rookies? Well here are a few more! Rodgers also has incredible non-rookie cards made during the Panini era (2012+). Enough to warrant their own Player Profile, but here are three of my favorites.
2005-06 Leaf Rookies and Stars
#201 Longevity Gold /99
Why It's a Favorite: Rodgers’ 2005-06 Leaf Rookies and Stars Longevity Gold numbered to 99 is an excellent entry point to Rodgers’ rookie gold refractor cards. It’s a gorgeous card with every bit of shine that the 2005-06 Leaf Certified Materials Mirror Gold has, but it comes at a fraction of the price. With this card, you trade brand name and rarity for an accessible price point, but we like to give collectors of all budgets options to explore!
2005-06 Upper Deck Legends
#LF-RF Link to the Future Dual Auto Rodgers/Favre /20
Why It's a Favorite: The Packers pulled off a feat that few teams can only dream of: Smoothly transitioning from one franchise QB to the next. What better way to pay tribute to an impressive 30 year run than with a dual autograph? Collectors have a few different options to choose from, 2005 Upper Deck Sweet Spot Signatures, 2012 Topps Supreme, 2018 National Treasures Synced Signatures, and 2019 Immaculate to name a few. The 2005 Upper Deck Legends “Link to the Future” auto sets itself apart from the rest by being a rookie year card with a timeless aesthetic.
2013-14 Select
#64 Green Prizm /15
Why It's a Favorite: Panini didn’t always build sets to have 40+ different parallels. While Select always had the Concourse, Premier, and Field “levels”, the 2013-14 debut set offered only four parallels. Each one was special. A black finite 1-of-1, a gold Prizm numbered to 10, a green Prizm numbered to 15, and a silver Prizm. Any one of those parallels are well deserving of a spot here, but the green Prizm feels a little extra special. The team color match works gives the card visual continuity and its rarity is an added bonus.
2018-19 Impeccable
#18 Inkpeccable Duals Brady/Rodgers /5
Why It's a Favorite: There have been 26 cards, including parallels, that have a Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers autograph. Most of those cards are triple and quad autos of Brady and Rodgers with some combination of Brees, Manning, Montana, Marino, and Elway. But, there’s only one that features a Brady/Rodgers dual autograph, the 2018-19 Impeccable Inkpeccable Duals. While it would have been nice to have on card autographs, I’ll happily trade sticker autographs for rarity. Plus, if you’re in the market for a Brady/Rodgers dual auto, this is your only option!
2022-23 Panini Origins
#BLS8 Blank Slate
Why It's a Favorite: Kaboom, Downtown, Color Blast - Panini has figured out the formula to create popular super short printed (SSP) case hits.They’ve designed visually intriguing cards and balanced print count that drives demand. Out of all the case hits they’ve created though, my favorite has to be Blank Slate. White space acts like a spotlight, concentrating your focus on the player’s image while the Origins logo and player’s name and team keep that focus on the card’s center. Its one of the best examples of a minimalist designed card I have found. My one request is that future iterations include only rookies - the true blank slates whose stories have not yet been written.
Honorable Mentions
2005-05 Donruss Elite #101 Turn of the Century Autos /125
2005-06 Topps Chrome #190 Autographed Gold X-Fractor /399
2005-06 Topps Heritage #ROAAR Real One Auto
2005-06 Ultimate Collection #US-AR Ultimate Signatures /75
2006-07 Bowman Chrome #201
2010-11 Finest #56 Mosaic Refractor /10
2010-11 Topps Chrome #C124
2010-11 Topps Chrome #C124 Gold Refractor /50
2011-12 Finest #50 Mosaic Refractor /10
2011-12 Topps Chrome #139 Crystal Atomic Refractor /139
2012-13 National Treasures #1 Virtuoso Signatures /25
2013-14 Prizm #115
2014-15 Flawless #1 Greats Autographs Silver /25
2014-15 Prizm #67 Silver Prizm
2014-15 Totally Certified #34 Mirror Platinum Gold /5
2015-16 Prizm #112
2017-18 Prizm #2 Stained Glass
2018-19 Panini Donruss Optic #DT5 Downtown
Have another card you think deserves an honorable mention? Let us know on IG @TheSmarterCollector!
Additional Resources
H/T to @Prison_Mike_PC for helping us construct Rodgers' Player Profile!