It didn’t take Patrick Mahomes long to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Now, Mahomes is a very collectible name in the football card hobby.
In my opinion, the best Patrick Mahomes rookie card is his 2017 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph card, which is also his most expensive to buy.
I’ve covered that, and the other best Patrick Mahomes rookie cards to collect, below.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary
5. 2017 Panini Select Field Level #247
4. 2017 Donruss Optic #177
3. 2017 Panini Contenders Optic Autograph #103
2. 2017 Panini Prizm #269
1. Rookie Patch Autographs (Number 1 pick is 2017 Panini National Treasures #161)
The Best Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
Patrick Mahomes II’s rookie cards were released in Panini football card products across the 2017 season.
Here’s a look at the top picks; The cards listed below do have parallel versions, which are rarer and more valuable than the base cards.
2017 Panini Select Field Level Patrick Mahomes #247
One of the hallmarks of the Panini Select sets, at least in modern times, is the tiered system it uses for base cards. 2017 Select had 3 tiers of base cards.
So Patrick Mahomes had 3 different base Select rookie cards, starting with the most common Concourse level, followed by the Premier level card.
The rarest, and most valuable, is the third tier card, the Field level Patrick Mahomes Panini Select rookie card – Field level cards were the toughest to pull, at just 2 per box.
The Field level card is an attractive long-term Patrick Mahomes rookie card investment. It’s priced similarly to popular alternatives like Prizm and Optic, but the supply is significantly less than those flagship chrome brands.
The Field base card also has some even rarer and more valuable parallels, which are the best options, if your budget allows for it.
A BGS 10 graded copy of the Green Prizm parallel (/5) sold for $96k, back in 2021.
2017 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Patrick Mahomes #177
Adding some Chrome shine to the 2017 Donruss design, the 2017 Donruss Optic set features Mahomes in the well-known, and popular Rated Rookie subset.
The base Optic card is a good option in its own right, it’s a version of the Rated Rookie card that has added appeal, but it’s low-value (in relative terms for a Mahomes rookie) because of its availability.
However, the numerous parallel options add color and differing levels of rarity; They start at un-numbered options like the Holo parallel, to the rarest parallel versions, which are very valuable.
A BGS 9.5 graded copy of the Gold parallel (/10) sold for $60k, back in 2022.
2017 Panini Contenders Optic Rookie Ticket Patrick Mahomes Autograph #103
The Rookie Ticket card design has become a popular mainstay of the football card hobby.
Collectors have the option of both the Contenders and Contenders Optic version – The latter being a chromium take of the base paper Contenders card; For me, it’s one of the top Patrick Mahomes rookie card picks.
The hard-signed card is arguably the most iconic Patrick Mahomes autograph rookie card (auto only), not a lot can touch it in terms of desirability and popularity.
Although it’s not numbered on-card, Panini did confirm that the on-card autograph for Mahomes Optic Rookie Ticket is limited to 300 copies or fewer.
There are some parallel versions as well, like the most coveted 1-of-1 Gold Vinyl Prizm parallel, which sold for $168k in 2022.
2017 Panini Prizm Patrick Mahomes #269
Panini Prizm cards need little introduction if you’ve been around the football card hobby a while.
The base Prizm Mahomes rookie is popular, and mass-produced, so it doesn’t break the bank to buy – However, like Donruss Optic, the various Prizm parallels add levels of rarity and value, from the un-numbered versions to the low serial-numbered options, which are the most expensive to buy.
A PSA 10 graded copy of the Gold Vinyl Prizm parallel (/5) sold for $570k in 2022, so they’re among Mahomes’ most valuable football cards.
Patrick Mahomes Rookie Patch Autographs Cards
With multiple options for an autograph patch Mahomes rookie, I didn’t want to narrow it down to a specific card for this one.
However, the 2017 Panini National Treasures RPA card is the number one Patrick Mahomes rookie; It’s the best, and most expensive, option.
The NT brand prestige, along with the hard-signed autograph, jumbo relic patch, and rarity all make it so desirable and valuable.
The base card is numbered to only 99 copies, and there are multiple rarer parallels. In 2021, the 1-of-1 Platinum NFL Shield parallel, graded BGS 8.5, sold for $4.3 million, to become one of the most expensive sports cards of all time.
The next best Mahomes RPA is from 2017 Flawless, but there are other options as well, from sets like 2017 Immaculate.
Mahomes’ most premium Rookie Patch Autograph cards will be at the top of the list when it comes to price, so they’re out of reach for a regular collector, but some of the options are lower value – So I’ll keep it generic and say: Go with any Patrick Mahomes RPA card that fits your personal budget.
When Was Patrick Mahomes’ Rookie Season?
Patrick Mahomes’ rookie season was the 2017 NFL season – He was selected as the 10th overall pick by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2017 NFL Draft.
What Is The Most Expensive Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card?
The most valuable and expensive Patrick Mahomes rookie is his 2017 Panini National Treasures Rookie Patch Autograph card. The on-card signature, jumbo relic patch, and rarity all contribute to the high value.
The base card itself is limited to only 99 copies, and is worth big money, but the parallel versions, which are even rarer, are worth the most; The 1-of-1 Platinum NFL Shield parallel has sold for $4.3 million before, and there have been numerous sales of well over $500k for the card’s various parallel versions.
What Is The Most Popular Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card?
The most desirable lower-cost Patrick Mahomes rookie card is his 2017 Panini Prizm card – They’ve long been very popular and desirable in the hobby, and the Mahomes rookie is highly sought-after.
Collectors with the highest budget would probably desire the 2017 National Treasures rookie patch autograph Mahomes rookie card above all others – The card will cost tens of thousands, if not hundreds, but National Treasures RPAs are the holy grail of premium football cards.
Are Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards Worth Money?
Some Patrick Mahomes rookie cards are worth huge amounts of money.
Modern players have so many different rookie cards, the rarity and value can vary so much these days, but even Mahomes’ lower-cost rookie cards are worth hundreds, or even thousands of dollars.
His rarest and most premium rookie cards have sold in the past for hundreds of thousands of dollars, even millions – In fact, his 1/1 2017 National Treasures NFL Shield rookie card (graded 8.5 by Beckett) sold for $4.3m in auction in July 2021.
Patrick Mahomes II: A Background
Patrick Mahomes established himself as a top quarterback in the NFL early on in his professional career.
He’s already guided the Kansas City Chiefs to 3 Super Bowl titles, in the 2019, 2022 and 2023 NFL seasons. He’s also a 2 time NFL MVP, on top of holding many NFL records.
For football card collectors, it’s already well past the point of getting in on ground floor for Mahomes’ rookie cards, they seem to rise with every touchdown pass – But, that’s not to say it’s too late, with a promising future for more success, one day he could be talked about in the GOAT debate with the likes of Tom Brady and Joe Montana, his rookie cards still have potential for more.
