Most Expensive Football Cards Ever Sold: Mahomes' $4.3 Million Shield Leads Brady's Rookie Tickets

The most expensive football card ever sold is a 2017 National Treasures Patrick Mahomes NFL Shield rookie patch autograph 1/1, graded BGS 8.5, which sold for $4.3 million in a private sale through PWCC in July 2021, CBS Sports reported. The public auction record belongs to Tom Brady: his 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket rookie autograph sold for $3.107 million at Lelands in June 2021. Below are the most expensive football cards by confirmed sale, which ones were private deals, and what has changed for football cards in 2026.

Current as of October 5, 2026. Brady's Championship Ticket alone has cleared $1 million more than twenty times, per Sports Illustrated, so the list shows its highest public sales plus every other football card with a confirmed sale of $1.1 million or more. Prices include buyer's premium where the sale was a public auction.

The Most Expensive Football Cards Ever Sold

1. Patrick Mahomes, 2017 National Treasures NFL Shield Rookie Patch Auto 1/1, BGS 8.5: $4,300,000

• Sale: private sale announced by PWCC Marketplace in July 2021, per CBS Sports and Sports Collectors Digest
• Why it matters: a 1/1 rookie card carrying the NFL Shield logo patch, and still the football record more than five years later

2. Tom Brady, 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Rookie Auto #144, BGS 9: $3,107,372

• Sale: Lelands Mid-Spring Classic, June 4, 2021, per ESPN and the Lelands lot page
• Why it matters: the most ever paid for a football card at public auction, per ESPN. "Tom Brady is the GOAT and continues to break records both on and off the playing field," Lelands director of acquisitions Jordan Gilroy said, as quoted by ESPN on June 5, 2021

3. Tom Brady, 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Rookie Auto #144, BGS 9: $2,400,000

• Sale: PWCC, now Fanatics Collect, Premier Auction, October 21, 2022, after 41 bids, including buyer's premium
• Why it matters: the lot page counted it as one of seven BGS 9 copies with none graded higher

4. Tom Brady, 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Rookie Auto #144, BGS 8.5: $2,300,000

• Sale: Probstein Auctions on eBay, February 1, 2022, per ESPN and CGC
• Why it matters: it sold the week Brady first announced his retirement, and ESPN called it the third most expensive football card ever at the time

5. Tom Brady, 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Rookie Auto #144, BGS 8.5: $2,252,855

• Sale: Lelands, April 2, 2021, per the Lelands lot page and ESPN
• Why it matters: it set the football auction record only two months before the $3.107 million copy beat it

6. Justin Herbert, 2020 National Treasures Platinum NFL Shield Rookie Patch Auto 1/1, BGS 8.5: $1,800,000

• Sale: Goldin, September 2022, including buyer's premium, per ESPN
• Why it matters: one of two Herbert rookie cards ESPN reported past $1 million that month

7. Josh Allen, 2025 Topps Chrome Honors MVP Award Gold NFL Shield Patch Auto 1/1: $1,350,000

• Sale: Fanatics Collect May Premier, May 22, 2026, after 41 bids, including buyer's premium
• Why it matters: bidders paid for a redemption, since the lot page said the card "hasn't been produced yet." The finished card will carry a gold Shield patch Allen wore in the 2025 season as the reigning MVP. Yahoo Sports called it the first NFL card over $1 million since a Brady card in June 2023

8. Justin Herbert, 2020 Prizm Black Finite 1/1, BGS 9: $1,100,000

• Sale: sold by Boston Sports Cards & Co. to a trio of buyers in early September 2022, per ESPN
• Why it matters: a Panini Prizm 1/1, the flagship chase from the years Panini held the NFL license

Tom Brady Rookie Cards: The Most Traded Football Grail

Brady's 2000 Contenders Championship Ticket is the card that sells for seven figures again and again. Sports Illustrated Collectibles reported on July 12, 2026 that it had cleared $1 million more than twenty times, most recently when a PSA 8 copy sold for $1,113,250 on July 10, 2026. The same report puts the card's record at $3.8 million for a BGS 9 in February 2022. We found no auction record or second outlet for that sale, so it is not ranked above.

His other rookie cards sell for far less, and 2026 has added fresh benchmarks:

• 2000 Bowman Gold, PSA 10: $675,000 through REA's fixed-price marketplace in January 2026, a record for any Brady Bowman rookie, per SI Collectibles
• 2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor, SGC 10: $292,800 at Goldin in September 2026, per Auction Report

What Changed for Football Cards in 2026

Topps, owned by Fanatics, became the exclusive trading card partner of the NFL and NFLPA, taking over from Panini on April 1, 2026, per Yahoo Sports and SI Collectibles. Panini can still make football cards, but without NFL team names, logos or league marks, per Yahoo Sports' February 2026 explainer.

For collectors, that means:

• New 1/1 programs: the Allen card came from Topps' Gold Shield program, which honors the previous season's award winners
• A split in the record books: the Mahomes and both Herbert cards above are Panini-era cards, and new licensed NFL 1/1s now come from Topps

Topps' football calendar is already busy, from Bowman Football to Topps Holiday Football.

Why Football Cards Sell for So Much

• One-of-ones with an NFL Shield patch. Four of the eight cards above are 1/1s, and three of them carry an NFL Shield patch
• Rookie autographs of champions. Brady's Championship Ticket is numbered to 100, per the Fanatics Collect lot, and he went on to win seven Super Bowls
• Grade. Two copies of the same Brady card brought $3.107 million in BGS 9 and $2.25 million in BGS 8.5 two months apart in 2021

For how football compares with other sports, see our most expensive trading cards list and our most expensive baseball cards and most expensive basketball cards guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most expensive football card ever sold?

A 2017 National Treasures Patrick Mahomes NFL Shield rookie patch autograph 1/1, graded BGS 8.5, which sold for $4.3 million in a private sale through PWCC in July 2021.

What is the most expensive football card sold at auction?

A 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady rookie autograph, graded BGS 9, which sold for $3.107 million at Lelands in June 2021.

What is the most expensive Josh Allen card?

His 2025 Topps Chrome Honors MVP Award Gold NFL Shield patch autograph 1/1, which sold as a redemption for $1.35 million at Fanatics Collect on May 22, 2026.

Who makes NFL trading cards in 2026?

Topps, owned by Fanatics, holds the exclusive NFL and NFLPA license from April 1, 2026, replacing Panini.

Where to Go From Here

The football market runs from seven-figure 1/1s to rookie cards most collectors can actually own. If you want to start with real cards at a friendlier price, the Polkastarter marketplace gives you a free mystery pack when you sign up, and every Lootbox lists its contents, values, and chances before you open.

Details checked October 5, 2026. Prices are past sale results and change over time. Nothing here is financial advice. Polkastarter is not affiliated with the NFL, the NFLPA, Topps, Fanatics, Panini, Lelands, Goldin, PWCC or the other companies named.

Sources

• CBS Sports: Patrick Mahomes rookie card sells for $4.3 million, published July 28, 2021, accessed October 5, 2026
• Sports Collectors Digest: How Patrick Mahomes rookie became highest-selling football card of all-time, published August 3, 2021, accessed October 5, 2026
• ESPN: Rookie card of Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady sells for record $3.107 million at auction, published June 5, 2021, accessed October 5, 2026
• Lelands: 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket #144 Tom Brady BGS 9, sold June 4, 2021, accessed October 5, 2026
• ESPN: Tom Brady rookie card sells on eBay for $2.3 million, third-most expensive football card ever, published February 2, 2022, accessed October 5, 2026
• CGC: Tom Brady cards guide, accessed October 5, 2026
• Lelands: 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket #144 Tom Brady BGS 8.5, sold April 2, 2021, accessed October 5, 2026
• ESPN: Brady rookie card sells for record $2.25 million, published April 3, 2021, accessed October 5, 2026
• Fanatics Collect: 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Tom Brady RC Auto BGS 9, sold October 21, 2022, accessed October 5, 2026
• ESPN: Two Justin Herbert rookie cards sell for over $1 million, published September 11, 2022, accessed October 5, 2026
• Fanatics Collect: 2025 Topps Chrome Honors MVP Award Gold NFL Shield Josh Allen Patch Auto 1/1, sold May 22, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026
• Yahoo Sports: Is Josh Allen's $1.35M card sale a sign the NFL market is about to blow up?, published May 28, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026
• Sports Illustrated Collectibles via Yahoo Sports: Mickey Mantle, Tom Brady headline this week's biggest sports card sales, published July 12, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026
• SI Collectibles: Tom Brady's 2000 Bowman rookie card sets all-time sales record, published January 25, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026
• Auction Report: Ohtani $2.85 million Logoman headlines Goldin auction results, published September 28, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026
• Yahoo Sports: Inside the Fanatics-Panini feud, what license shifts mean for your 2026 card collection, published February 3, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026
• SI Collectibles: Topps returns to NFL cards with a new vision for the hobby, published April 2, 2026, accessed October 5, 2026