In the Football card collecting hobby, Tom Brady rookie cards are highly sought-after, because of his status and popularity in the sport; Most Brady rookies hold high value.
In my opinion, and many will agree, the best Tom Brady rookie card is his 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket Autograph card, which has sold for as much as £3.8 million before.
I’ve covered that card, and the best alternatives, below.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways: Top 3 Picks
In a hurry? Here’s a quick look at the best 3 Tom Brady rookie cards:
- 2000 Playoff Contenders #144 (Championship Ticket parallel)
- 2000 Bowman Chrome #236 (Refractor parallel)
- 2000 SP Authentic #118
The Best Tom Brady Rookie Cards
Collectors have a choice of over 40 different Tom Brady Rookie Card options, from various different manufacturers.
The days of cheap options are gone; Most have sky-high values, with some of the more common rookies slightly more affordable, but still not necessarily cheap to buy.
Here are the top Brady rookie card picks:
2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady #144
The significance of the 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady rookie card is that it’s his only autographed rookie.
He does have a number of autographed releases from 2000, but surprisingly, this is the only official base rookie card that has his signature.
Although the base version isn’t numbered, it’s popular because of the autograph.
However, that’s not the only appeal; The Contenders brand is very popular in the hobby, with the distinct rookie ticket design.
There’s also a Championship Ticket parallel card, which is numbered to just 100 copies.
The base version is expensive itself, but the parallel sells for a lot more, due to its scarcity.
The Championship Ticket parallel is Tom Brady’s most valuable sports card if you’re going by previous sales; A copy sold for $3.8 million in 2022.
This one is prone to fakes and counterfeit cards, because of its status and popularity in the hobby; It’s something to look out for if you’re in the market for it. The safest bet is to get one that’s already graded.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $200k-$250k
2000 SP Authentic Tom Brady #118
Another of the best Tom Brady rookie cards is this 2000 SP Authentic card, numbered to 1,250.
This one doesn’t have an autograph, and while it is rare, there are rarer Brady rookie cards; It is, however, one of the most iconic and sought-after football cards out there – It’s hugely valuable and popular.
Back when this was released, SP Authentic was well-placed in the hobby as a premium brand, and collectors went mad for it, so the brand appeal, even now, is what gives this card a higher value than most Tom Brady rookie cards.
Back in 2021, a PSA 10 graded copy of this one sold for $360k, which makes it one of his most expensive rookie cards.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $80k-$100k
2000 Pacific Revolution Tom Brady #128
With just 300 copies, the 2000 Pacific Revolution Tom Brady rookie card is his 2nd rarest, and one of the most valuable Tom Brady rookie cards out there.
The design of the card has quite a lot going on, with a gold, blue and red patriots style background. There are no parallels with any different designs.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $16k-$18k
2000 SPx Tom Brady #130
The 2000 SPx Tom Brady rookie card is another that’s numbered, with 1,350 copies.
Despite there being much more scarce options, this card is one of the more popular and valuable Tom Brady rookies.
The card itself has quite a premium feel to its design – the blue and white background with the gold foiled text make for a clean looking card.
There is a Spectrum parallel for this one, which has only 25 numbered copies, and is worth far more than the base version; It’s one of Brady’s most expensive football cards ever.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $30k-$35k
2000 Leaf Limited Tom Brady #378
The 2000 Leaf Limited Brady rookie card is one of his most rare, numbered to just 350 copies.
The foiled card, with the action shot of Brady, has a nice design and is another very popular Tom Brady rookie card option.
There’s also a rare Limited Edition parallel version, which adds rarity and value.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $20k-$25k
2000 Upper Deck Pros And Prospects Tom Brady #124
It’s easy to tell this Tom Brady rookie card is made by Upper Deck; Some distinct features with the foiled lines, and multi-directional text, make it very recognizable from an Upper Deck perspective.
It’s also the rarest Upper Deck Tom Brady rookie card, limited to just 1000 copies.
It’s maybe a bit of a busy looking card, for me, but it’s a cool option for collectors who like the Upper Deck style.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $4k-$6k
2000 Playoff Momentum Tom Brady #180
At the time of release, the 2000 Playoff Momentum Tom Brady rookie card was considered a more high-end, premium product.
The hobby has changed a lot since, but the etched foil design of the card gave it a big appeal, plus it’s limited to only 750 copies, so it’s very much one of the more valuable Brady rookies today.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $15k-$17k
2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady #236
The 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady rookie card is one of his most popular and valuable, despite not being numbered or particularly premium.
There are a couple of reasons why that’s likely the case, firstly the brand recognition (this is one of two rookie cards released by Topps), plus it’s the only chromium style Brady rookie card.
Chromium cards are popular products in the hobby today, so this being Brady’s only chromium style card gives it huge appeal to collectors.
The base card is expensive, to most, but it’s worth only a fraction of what the Refractor parallel version is worth.
A copy of the parallel version sold for $3.5 million, back in 2023, which makes it one of Brady’s most expensive football cards ever, and one of the top sports card sales of all time.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $7k-$9k
2000 E-X Tom Brady #122
While Fleer’s E-X product might not be as mainstream as some, the 2000 E-X Tom Brady rookie is a nice card, and the most valuable Fleer Brady rookie.
Numbered to 1,500 copies, it’s not in the category of Brady’s rarest rookie cards, but it certainly holds good value.
The big value is found in the Essential Credentials Future parallel version, which has only 25 serial-numbered copies, and is one of the best, and most valuable, Tom Brady rookie cards.
A PSA 9 graded copy of the Essential Credentials Future parallel sold for as much as $180k, back in 2022.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $18k-$20k
2000 Upper Deck Graded Tom Brady #104
Another card that’s quite easily recognizable as an Upper Deck product; It’s one of the more moderately affordable Brady rookie cards.
The 2000 UD Graded Tom Brady rookie card was quite unique because, as the product title suggests, it offered cards that were pre-graded in most instances.
The card is numbered to 1,325 copies, with around 850 of those pre-graded, in SGC grading slabs.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $6k-$8k
2000 Private Stock Tom Brady #128
This 2000 Private Stock card is technically the rarest Tom Brady rookie card, with 278 copies, however it doesn’t rank among his most valuable rookie options.
That’s because there’s a nearly identical retail version with a further 650 copies, and a few different parallel versions which, when combined, takes the print run number a lot higher.
I personally think it offers a good lower-value and relatively rare option to collectors.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $3k-$4k
2000 Pacific Vanguard Tom Brady #139
This one offers something slightly different in design, with the so-called ‘Vision-Glow Technology’.
Although I’m not totally sure what that means, the card looks cool, with a clean image of Brady in action.
The card is limited to just 762 prints, which helps increase its value, but it is one of the lower-value Brady rookie cards.
Average price of the base version graded PSA 10: $2k-$3k
When Was Tom Brady’s Rookie Season?
2000 was Tom Brady’s rookie year in the NFL – He was selected as the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.
How Many Tom Brady Rookie Cards Are There?
There’s 44 different official base Tom Brady rookie cards, not including parallels and inserts, with only 1 autographed option.
What Are Tom Brady Rookie Cards Worth?
Most Tom Brady rookie cards fetch huge money on the secondary market these days, usually in the tens and hundreds of thousands, depending on which card and what condition it’s in.
The 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket parallel and the 2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor parallel Brady rookies have sold for multiple-million dollars in the past.
What Is The Most Expensive Tom Brady Rookie Card?
The 2000 Playoff Contenders #144 card is Tom Brady’s most valuable and expensive rookie card to buy, partly because it’s the only autographed rookie card option of his.
The record sale for the card was for a copy of the Championship Ticket parallel, which sold for $3.8 million in 2022; There have been numerous sales for multiple-millions of dollars in the past.
Tom Brady: A Background
A good deal of football fans will agree that Tom Brady is the greatest player the NFL has ever seen; He’s certainly in the conversation, for most.
The legendary quarterback’s list of achievements and accolades are almost endless, he’s established himself as not only a giant name in football, but in the world of sport in general.
The 7-time Super Bowl champion is best known for his 20 seasons with the New England Patriots, where he won 6 of those Super Bowls, before his move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which resulted in him winning his 7th Super Bowl title.
Brady also won the NFL’s Most Valuable Player 3 times, and was the Super Bowl’s MVP 5 times.
His legacy is cemented, and he’ll always be recognized as one of the greats, so it’s hard to go wrong with a Brady rookie card.
Average prices based on PSA’s previous public sales data.
