Drew Brees’ NFL career ranks him among the greatest quarterbacks that the league has ever seen.
I think Brees’ best rookie card is his 2001 Playoff Contenders Autograph card; It’s also his most valuable option. I’ve covered that, and all his other top rookie card picks, below.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary - Top 3 Picks
The Best Drew Brees Rookie Cards
2001 Playoff Contenders Drew Brees Autograph #124
PSA 10 average price: $20k-$25k
Of the many Drew Brees rookie card options, this 2001 Playoff Contenders autograph card has established itself as the clear favorite among collectors, despite its higher print run than some of the alternatives.
In my opinion, and many collectors will agree, it’s the best Drew Brees rookie card option.
Although there’s a lack of serial numbering, the print run was confirmed to be 500 copies of the autographed card.
The popular Contenders Ticket concept adds to the appeal of this one, and helps contribute to its very high value.
The slight negative is that it doesn’t have a hard-signed autograph; Collectors have to settle for a sticker auto, but that doesn’t seem to affect its popularity and price too much.
There is also an unsigned version, which is rare, and also valuable.
Back in 2020, a PSA 10 graded copy of this one sold for $40.8k.
2001 SPx Drew Brees Autograph Patch #101
PSA 10 average price (Silver): $1k-$2k
PSA 10 average price (Gold): $3k-$4k
There are two different Drew Brees rookie cards from 2001 SPx.
They feature similar designs, both having an autograph and jersey patch; One major difference is the background color, with one being gold & red, and the other silver & blue.
Both cards are numbered and limited to 250 copies, and are some of Brees’ most valuable rookie card options; The Gold version generally sells for more than the Silver version.
They have added significance, because they’re the only Drew Brees rookie cards to feature both an autograph and relic patch together.
2001 Topps Chrome Rookie Refractor Drew Brees #229
PSA 10 average price: $6k-$8k (Black Parallel: $16k-$18k)
The 2001 Topps Chrome Refractor Drew Brees rookie card is easily the most sought-after, and valuable, rookie card of his that doesn’t feature an autograph.
Football card collectors have long turned to Topps Chrome as one of the key football products for rookie cards, and it’s no different for this one.
The base Refractor version has a print run of 999 copies, and the Black Refractor parallel version offers a tougher chase, with just 100 copies.
Back in 2020, the base Refractor version sold for $11.1k, graded PSA 10.
2001 Crown Royale Drew Brees Autograph #150
PSA 10 average price: $1k-$2k
The 2001 Crown Royale Drew Brees rookie card offers collectors something a bit different in terms of design, with the classic die-cut crown shaped design that we’re used to seeing from the product.
The hard-signed autograph also adds big appeal to this one, as well as it being serial numbered to 250 copies.
2001 Pacific Dynagon Drew Brees Autograph #102
PSA 10 average price: N/A (PSA 9: $500-$700)
With 199 copies, this 2001 Pacific Dynagon autographed Drew Brees card is the rarest of his base autograph rookie cards.
The small on-card signature doesn’t stand-out much, but the shiny card is an appealing option for collectors, and it’s one of Brees’ most valuable rookies.
2001 Topps Debut Drew Brees Autograph #101
PSA 10 average price: $800-$1k
The 2001 Topps Debut Drew Brees rookie card is another popular option, thanks to the hard-signed autograph and limited print run of 499, although it isn’t serial-numbered on the front of the card.
The card features an image of Brees in college colors, and the signature stands-out as the main feature.
It’s another valuable and sought-after card.
2001 SP Authentic Drew Brees Patch #101
PSA 10 average price: $1k-$1.2k
This 2001 SP Authentic Drew Brees rookie card is a nice looking option, with the added appeal of a worn-material patch.
The caption saying ‘Event-worn patch’ indicates its worn material from the 2001 NFL Rookie photo shoot, and not match-worn.
The card is serial numbered to 800 copies, and has a similar value to some of the autographed rookie cards already mentioned in this list.
Collectors do have the option of the Future Watch Gold parallel, which is limited to just 100 copies, but doesn’t include a relic patch – It also switches to a vertical layout.
2001 Pacific Drew Brees Autograph #453
PSA 10 average price: $800-$1k
The 2001 Pacific Drew Brees rookie card offers another hard-signed autograph with an image of Brees in college colors, limited to 1,000 copies.
The black-ink signature doesn’t necessarily pop out at you, but it’s still a desirable feature.
Despite it having a much higher print run than the Topps Debut auto card, which also features Brees in his college strip, it holds a similar value in the highest grades, because it’s harder to find in top condition.
2001 Bowman Chrome Refractor Drew Brees #144
PSA 10 average price: $2k-$2.5k (Xfractor Parallel: $5k-$5.5k)
Another key unsigned Drew Brees rookie card is this 2001 Bowman Chrome Refractor card, largely because of the brand power that Bowman Chrome has in the hobby.
The relatively high print run of 1,999 copies for the base card makes it an attainable option, but big value and a harder chase is found in the Gold Refractor and Xfractor parallels.
2001 Fleer E-X Drew Brees #95
PSA 10 average price: $800-$1k (Essential Credentials Parallel: $10k-$12k)
Although the product lost some of the spark it had with its sets released in the 1990s, the Fleer E-X football set included this notable Drew Brees rookie card.
The base card has 1,000 copies, and holds good value, but the chase comes from the Essential Credentials parallel, which has just 29 copies.
A PSA 10 graded copy of the Essential Credentials parallel has sold for as much as $12.6k, in 2021, which makes it one of the most expensive Drew Brees rookie cards.
The first 125 copies of the base card are autographed, with a hard-signed signature.
When Was Drew Brees’ Rookie Season?
Drew Brees’ rookie season was the 2001 NFL season – He was selected as the 32nd overall pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 NFL Draft.
What Is The Most Valuable Drew Brees Rookie Card?
The most valuable and expensive Drew Brees rookie card is the 2001 Playoff Contenders Drew Brees Autograph (#124) card.
There have been multiple sales of over $35k for the card in the past, and back in 2020, a PSA 10 graded copy sold for $40.8k.
What Is The Rarest Drew Brees Rookie Card?
The rarest Drew Brees base rookie card is the 2001 Titanium Drew Brees (#195) card, which includes a jersey patch. The card is serial numbered and limited to just 75 copies.
How Many Rookie Cards Does Drew Brees Have?
Drew Brees has 66 unique base rookie cards; That number doesn’t include parallel versions and first-year insert cards.
Drew Brees: A Background
Drew Brees is one of the greatest quarterbacks that the NFL has ever seen.
The Super Bowl XLIV champion was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in both 2008 and 2011, among his many other accolades. In 2012, he broke the record for the most consecutive games with at least 1 touchdown, with 54 games, spanning 3 years.
Despite sharing an era with fellow legendary quarterbacks like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, his rookie cards have always done well in the football card hobby, but it wasn’t until towards the end of his playing career that they reached the popularity and value levels that you’d expect.
Early collectors of Drew Brees rookie cards have seen a nice rise in value, and there are plenty to choose from, with 66 different base rookie cards, and hundreds more if you factor in parallels and inserts.
Brees’ rookie cards come from a variety of different card manufacturers, like Topps, Fleer, Upper Deck, Pacific etc, so it’s easy to see why there’s such a big selection for collectors to choose from.
Average prices based on PSA’s previous public sales data.
