Patrick Mahomes Football Cards You Should Know About
Summary & Career Highlights
Rookie Year: 2017-18
Iconic Rookie Card: 2017-18 Prizm Silver #269
Highest Public Sale: 2017 National Treasures Platinum Shield 1/1 Rookie Patch Autograph for $4.3M
Similar Career Players: Kurt Warner, Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson
Players with Similar Cards to Check Out: Deshaun Watson, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Mitch Trubinski
Career Highlights
2x NFL MVP
3x Super Bowl Champion
3x Super Bowl MVP
4x All Pro (2x 1st Team, 2x 2nd Team)
6x Pro Bowl
2x QBR Leader
Iconic Cards
Mahomes entered the NFL on the precipice of the ultra-modern sports card era, an era defined by dozens of different parallels and brands. While the full offering of parallels aren't explored within the Notable cards below, we do call out some of the most popular and sought after parallels to get you started in your card discovery.
To help you navigate through the notable cards, we've developed a simple yet informative Icon Key. This key is designed to quickly communicate both the estimated cost and rarity of each card in our collection at a glance.
Icon Key
Estimated Cost:
💰 - Under $250
💰💰 - Under $1,000
💰💰💰 - Under $5,000
💰💰💰💰- Under $15,000
💰💰💰💰💰- Over $15,000
Rarity:
💎 - Common, High Serial Number
💎💎 - Serial Numbered or Less Than 200 in Population
💎💎💎 - Serial Numbered or Less Than 100 in Population
💎💎💎💎 - Serial Number or Less Than 50 in Population
💎💎💎💎💎 - Extremely Rare: Serial Numbered or Less Than 10 in Population
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2016-17 Select
#2 XRC Prizm Redemption
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰-💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: Mahomes first NFL licensed card came in the form of a redemption card issued in 2016-17 Select. The "2017 XRC Prizm Redemption" corresponded with the player's draft spot and position. Collectors lucky enough to pull the QB-2 redemption (Mahomes was the second QB selected in the 2017 draft behind Mitch Trubinsky) had a ticket to one of the most sought-after cards from the set. This card was also issued in Tie-Dye /25, Gold /10, and Black /1 parallels. The "XRC" designation indicates that this was a "Pre-Rookie" card in that it was distributed prior to Mahomes appearing in any NFL game.
2017 Panini
Rookie Premier Next Day Autograph (Personal Edition)
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Panini's "Next Day Autograph" series was created to leverage the hype from having many notable draft picks at the rookie photo shoot. The rookies signed cards that Panini then released for sale on their site the "Next Day." Panini also provided players with "Personal Edition" copies to sign and distribute among friends and family. While it was unexpected for Mahomes' inner circle to sell these, a few have surfaced on the secondary market. As of this writing, there are fewer than 30 graded copies between PSA and BGS, making it a super rare find and Mahomes' first licensed autograph.
2017-18 Prizm
#269 Silver
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰-💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎
About the Card: The 2017-18 Prizm Silver is arguably Mahomes' most recognizable rookie card. Prizm is the brand of choice for modern football collectors and the Silver Prizm has unparalleled continuity that can is not easily matched. Adding to its allure is the fact that Mahomes doesn't have a base Prizm rookie. In their 2017-18 Prizm Football release, Panini opted to print Silver Prizms and colored parallels for the rookies in the set, no base versions. While Silver Prizms are a non-numbered parallel, they are considerably more rare than their base counterparts.
2017-18 Contenders
#303 Championship Ticket Auto /10
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Contenders introduced the Rookie Ticket Autograph in 1998 and through a combination of unique design and iconic players featured over the years has established itself as one of the most sought after cards. The Rookie Ticket Autograph has several parallels: Playoff /99 or less, Cracked Ice /25, Championship /49 or less, and the SuperBowl /1. Mahomes was a short print in the set. His Playoff Ticket was /15, Cracked Ice /25, Championship Ticket /10, and Super Bowl Ticket /1.
2017-18 Optic
#117 Rated Rookie Red /99
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: If you're a collector looking to add a base rookie of your favorite player its likely you'll consider either Prizm, Optic, Select or some combination of the three. The Optic Rated Rookie dates all the way back to its debut in 1984 Donruss baseball giving the card a legacy that even Prizm can't match. Mahomes' Optic Rated Rookie features a photo that looks like it was taken at the rookie photo shoot and is framed by a neat border with stripes that differentiate between different color parallels.
2017-18 National Treasures
#161 Rookie Patch Auto /99
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: National Treasures ("NT"), Flawless, and Immaculate have been dubbed the "Big Three" luxury/high-end Panini brands, but no card across those three sets has captured the attention of the hobby quite like the National Treasures Rookie Patch Auto ("RPA") numbered to 99. Surprisingly none of the big three products have game-worn patches; National Treasures, Flawless, and Immaculate were all produced with player worn patches. While there's mixed feelings on the card's horizontal orientation, the market has voted with its wallet and definitively ranked National Treasures as number 1.
2017-18 Prizm
#3 Illumination
Prospective Card Cost: 💰
Rarity: 💎💎-💎💎💎
About the Card: Illumination is a 10 card insert set that was included in 2017 Prizm. Having premiered in 2016, the second year of the insert has a relatively low graded population for a rookie insert coming around 1,300 copies. The design is very similar in look and feel of a substantially more rare insert included in the same product, Stained Glass. The diaspora of colors and prominent gem at the focal point of the card give this card a fun appeal at a more attainable price point than his other Prizm rookies.
2017-18 Prizm
#10 Stained Glass
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: The Stained Glass insert debuted in 2017 Prizm and is one of Mahome's more sought after rookie inserts. The base version is Mahomes' rarest insert in 2017 Prizm and is also available in Gold Mojo /10 and Black Finite /1 parallels. Collectors who appreciate the look and color of the Illumination parallel but would like something a bit more rare may have found their ideal card in Stained Glass. If you appreciate the stained glass motif, also check out Topps' Gallery of Heroes (Multiple sports from 1997 - 2000) and Allen & Ginter Stained Glass minis (Exclusively baseball from 2019 onward).
2017-18 Select
#247 Premier Level Die Cut Gold /10
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰-💰💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎💎
About the Card: The 2016-17 XRC was Mahomes' first appearance in Select, while the 2017-18 release featured his rookie card. The Select configuration can be a bit tricky to understand, but gives you a lot of options to choose from. 2017 Select has three "Levels": Concourse (Base), Premier Level (10 per hobby box), and Field Level (1:6 packs) that feature a slightly different photo and design. Each level has a slightly different set of parallels. Premier is the only level to feature color die cut parallels. Look for a design and color parallel that speaks to you!
2018-19 Donruss
#DT-18 Downtown
Prospective Card Cost: 💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎/💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Panini embraced the 90's Arena design approach to inserts: Short print the inserts and make sure they look cool. We explore a few rare Panini inserts within Mahomes' Player Profile beginning here with his Downtown insert. "Downtown" was first introduced as a basketball insert in 2016 Studio. Football's first Downtown insert was introduced in 2018 Donruss as a case hit. The Downtown checklist is anchored by Mahomes and Brady and has no parallels unlike some of the releases in later years.
2018-19 Panini
Kaboom #PMA
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎/💎💎💎
About the Card: Kaboom is another one of Panini's rare inserts, but sort of isn't an insert, at least in 2018. 2018 Football and Basketball Kabooms were released as a multi-sport offering through the Panini Rewards portal. For 2,500 Panini Reward Points, you received a two-card pack and had a chance to pull one of the players in the 50 card checklist. Mahomes has a base version featured above and a gold parallel /10.
2018-19 Prizm
#269 Silver
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰-💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎
About the Card: A second Prizm makes the notable list? Yep! The 2018-19 Prizm Silver made this list for one reason: Rarity. Panini scored points with collectors when they lowered the print run of the non-numbered 2017-18 Prizm Basketball Silvers and wanted to bring the same approach over to football. Mahomes' sophomore year Prizm has a graded population that's currently 1% the pop of his 2017 Prizm rookie. If you value rarity and scarcity, check out Mahomes' 2018 Prizm Silver.
2019-20 Prizm
#CB-PM Color Blast
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Color Blast's are the last of the Big Three Panini rare inserts (Downtowns and Kabooms being the other two). Panini gave collectors another loud, rare, and aesthetically pleasing chase when they introduced the Color Blast in 2019 Prizm. The front of the card features an explosion of colored powder, something like you might see at a Color Run, set in front of ample white space and printed on refractor card stock. Two of the back edges are balanced by pictures of colored dye being inserted into a clear liquid to give the back an equally compelling feel to it.
2020-21 Impeccable
#1 Super Bowl Champion Signatures /25
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Quarterbacks are measured in the halls of greatness by two things: MVP's and Super Bowls. Mahomes won his first Super Bowl in 2020 and this card depicts that victory with an on-card autograph /25. The 23 card auto insert set celebrates Super Bowl winners over the years and HEAVILY features all time QB greats like Brady, Montana, Aikman, Peyton, Bradshaw, Big Ben, and Elway to name a few. If you want a card honoring Mahomes' first Super Bowl, doesn't get much better than this.
2022-23 Flawless
#2 Career Milestones Dual Patch /15
Prospective Card Cost: 💰💰💰
Rarity: 💎💎💎💎
About the Card: Ultra modern football and basketball card collectors looking to add cards featuring game used memorabilia to their collections don't have much to choose from. Panini has slowly moved away from "Game-Worn" to "Player-Worn" and even "Not affiliated with the player" jersey pieces. Collectors looking to add a game used jersey or patch card of Mahomes to their collection needed to wait FIVE YEARS until the release of 2022-23 Flawless, making the Career Milestones Dual Patch card /15 Mahomes' first game-used patch or jersey card.
A Few of My Favorites
My favorite Mahomes cards make strong use of white space and block lettering. The combination gives each card an epic feel that mirrors the mark he's made on the sport so far. Panini has given plenty of opportunities to pick up cool Mahomes cards regardless of your hobby budget. Want to lean into inserts? Lots to choose from. Love a colored parallel? There are at least a dozen you can chase across products. The world is your collecting oyster!
2020-21 Luminance
#M14 Moments
Why It's a Favorite: I LOVE BIG BLOCK TEXT ON SPORTS CARDS. "Moments" is an SSP case hit from 2020 Luminance. The card is printed on refractor card stock and boldly features Mahomes mid fist pump in landscape orientation. If you like the look of this card, but aren't willing to pay up for Mahomes' inaugural appearance, check out the 2021-22 version which is very similar.
2021-22 Prizm
#MPM Manga
Why It's a Favorite: The Manga insert is the one of Panini's latest SSP case hit creations introduced in 2021 Prizm and has a very low graded pop to boot. I'm not a fan of manga (The Japanese comic books), but I think this card looks amazing. It gives off superhero vibes and has plenty of nostalgic appeal for collectors who love manga or anime.
2020-21 Donruss Optic
#MH2 My House! Gold /10
Why It's a Favorite: "My House" was an Optic basketball insert set that made its way over to Football in 2020. The base versions of the cards are common inserts, but were available in Black Pandora /25, Gold /10, and Gold Vinyl /1 parallels. There's something so satisfying about the gold parallel and the coloring of the lightning. It looks like this card was designed for this parallel and then modified for the base and other parallels.
2017-18 Origins
#4 Rookie Signatures Red /49
Why It's a Favorite: I really like the look of Origins. Baseball collectors or football collectors of the late Topps era might recognize that the design is similar to Topps/Bowman Inception. Generous use of white space, epic looking "ORIGIN" at the top of the card, and a color-blast esque background to tie it all together. Just so happens to be a rookie autograph and team color match as well! My one gripe with this card is the back. Sure, it looks okay, but it comes off as lazy. What happened to the days where collectors got to learn about a player's stats or hear about an interesting story?
2019-20 Flawless
#6 Flawless Dual Autographs Brady/Mahomes
Why It's a Favorite: The 2019-20 Flawless Dual Autographs /5 is the first and only (at the time of writing this) dual autograph of Mahomes and Brady. Even with Mahomes' meteoric rise, he'll always be compared to Tom Brady and his 7 SuperBowl wins. If you like dual autographs of Hall of Fame level talent, this card is for you.
Honorable Mentions
2017-18 Donrus #7 The Elite Series - Rookies
2017-18 Donruss Elite #155 Red /149
2017-18 Optic #2 Rookie Gridiron Kings
2019-20 National Treasures Notable Nicknames /25
2020-21 Donruss Night Moves
2020-21 Panini Prestige #HE-PM Hereos
2020-21 Phoenix En Fuego Die Cut
2021-22 Donruss Gridiron Marvels
2021-22 Panini Black White Night
Have another card you think deserves an honorable mention? Let us know on IG @TheSmarterCollector!
Additional Resources
Patrick Mahomes Is Not a Kid Anymore. (He Just Plays Like One.)
Only Greatness, No Fatigue: Why Patrick Mahomes Is Having an MVP Season
The lessons Patrick Mahomes learned as a high school safety that helped him become an elite QB
The making of Patrick Mahomes, the highest-paid man in sports history
Mahomes: No MLB team will offer enough on draft day 3 to keep him from Tech