In a very short time, Patrick Mahomes II established himself as one of the superstars of the NFL. He is the product of a talented bloodline, the son of Pat Mahomes, Sr., who had an 11-year pitching career in the major leagues. In fact, the younger Mahomes was a multi-sport athlete at Texas Tech University before hanging up his baseball spikes after his sophomore season to give football his full attention.
In his first dedicated college season, Mahomes led all NCAA Division I FBS quarterbacks in passing yards (5,052), total yards per game (442.7), passing yards per game (421.0), points responsible for (318), points responsible for per game (26.5) and total touchdowns (53). He threw for 734 yards in an October 22, 2016, slugfest against Oklahoma that the Red Raiders won by a score of 66-59. At seasons end, Mahomes won the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation’s top collegiate passer.
The young gunslinger was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. After playing behind Alex Smith during his rookie season, Mahomes took over as the Chiefs starter in 2018 and everyone soon knew his name. In his first full season under center, Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 12-4 record while passing for 5,097 yards and a league-leading 50 touchdown passes. Once in the playoffs, Kansas City won their Divisional game against the Colts, but lost a 37-31 overtime heartbreaker to the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. For his efforts, Mahomes was named First Team All-Pro and won the 2018 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player Awards
Mahomes picked right back up in 2019 and while his personal numbers were not as grand as the year prior, the young QB led the Chiefs deeper into the playoffs. He directed his squad to their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years, a 31-20 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
In a 2020 NFL season that was marred by the challenges of COVID-19, Patrick Mahomes was a model of strength and reliability. He passed for 4,740 yards and led the league with a 316-yards-per-game average. The Chiefs finished the regular season with a 14-2 record. They earned a bye in the first round of the playoffs and then defeated the Cleveland Browns by a score of 22-17 in the divisional championship. Mahomes left the game early after suffering a pinched nerve in his neck, but will reportedly be ready to face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game. Whether or not the Chiefs repeat as Super Bowl champions, Mahomes is now one of the unquestioned superstars of the game today.
Statisticians and opposing teams are not the only ones taking note of Mahomes. As can be expected, he has also taken the trading card hobby by storm. Just four years into his NFL career, Mahomes is one of the hottest subjects in the modern football card market. The 37 cards needed to complete the Patrick Mahomes II Rookie Set on the PSA Set Registry are not for the faint of heart, and yet there are still 39 collectors attempting to build the collection. It is too early to determine how many will complete the effort, but even those who fall short will have added significant cards to their football collections.
2017 Panini National Treasures RC Auto Patch #161 (#/99)
Parallels: Holo Silver (#/25), Stars and Stripes (#/13), Green Jersey Number (#/15), Holo Gold (#/10), Black (#/5), Red Brand Logo (#/2), Platinum (#1/1), Printing Plates Black (#1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (#1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (#1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (#1/1), Red (#1/1), Red Laundry Tag (#1/1)
It should come as no surprise that the premier Mahomes rookie card can be found in National Treasures. This product line ranks among the nicest cards on an annual basis. Numbered to 99, the cards are limited but not exceptionally rare. The horizontal format shows Mahomes from the waist up, poised to throw above an on-card auto. A large jersey patch is set to the right. The card has a nice aesthetic, with an attractive mix of red and white, with a blue signature. Twenty of these cards have been accessed by PSA, resulting in eight PSA 10s, five PSA 9s, six PSA 8s and a lone PSA 6. Examples do not publicly trade hands very often, but the handful of APR results show rising prices.
Most Recent PSA Gem Mint 10 Sale: $60,100.00
2017 Panini Contenders RC Autograph #303
Parallels: Red Zone, Playoff Ticket (#/49), Championship Ticket (#/25), Cracked Ice (#/25), Preview (#/23), Printing Plates Black (#1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (#1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (#1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (#1/1), Super Bowl Ticket (#1/1)
Included in the Rookie Ticket RPS Autograph series, this card features ticket design elements on the left, a full-body action image of Mahomes on the right and an on-card auto below. Just 212 examples of the non-serial numbered base card were produced, and the accompanying parallels were released in even smaller quantities. Fortunately for collectors, there have been nearly 100 base cards submitted to PSA for grading. The population of PSA 10s currently stands at 39 examples and though these cards are posted for sale more frequently than the National Treasures, the APR is currently not much lower.
Most Recent PSA Gem Mint 10 Sale: $55,100.00
2017 Panini Contenders Optic RC Autograph #103
Parallels: Red (#/75), Blue (#/25), Gold (#/10), Gold Vinyl (#1/1), Printing Plates Black (#1/1), Printing Plates Cyan (#1/1), Printing Plates Magenta (#1/1), Printing Plates Yellow (#1/1)
Similar in design to the base Panini Contenders, the Contenders Optic set made its debut in 2017. The brand combined the design of Contenders with the chromium technology of Donruss Optic to offer a premium version of a hobby classic. The Mahomes card is considered a short print, which means that although there is no serial number, only 300 examples were produced. Of the 105 cards submitted so far to PSA, 42 earned PSA 10 status and 46 ranked PSA 9 in quality.
Most Recent PSA Gem Mint 10 Sale: $17,500.00
2017 Panini Prizm RC #269
Parallels: Prizms Blue, Prizms Bronze Stars, Prizms Disco, Prizms Green, Prizms Pink, Prizms Red, Prizms Red/White/Blue, Prizms White Sparkle, Prizms Orange (/275), Prizms Light Blue (/199), Prizms Blue Wave (#/149), Prizms Green Scope (#/99), Prizms Purple Scope (#/75), Prizms Red Power (#/49), Prizms Camo (#/25), Prizms Gold (#/10), Prizms Gold Vinyl (#/5), Prizms Black Finite (#1/1)
Prizm is a very popular card line with collectors, especially when considering that neither the base cards nor parallels contain autographs or memorabilia. The shiny surfaces are susceptible to scratches, but with more than 800 examples having been graded PSA 10, they are not difficult to locate. If you like to hunt, there is a well-developed parallel rainbow accompanying the base card, much of which was issued in very limited quantities.
Most Recent PSA Gem Mint 10 Sale: $9,001.00
With just three NFL seasons under his belt, Patrick Mahomes has had incredible success. What he will do in the future is anyone’s guess, but if history is our guide, then it is sure to be impressive. The Chiefs have built a strong team around their young leader and their efforts have been rewarded. Mahomes earned a Super Bowl victory in just his second full season and is knocking on the door of another.
One of the great advantages to the modern card era is the breadth of cards offered for most players. If the cards above don’t fit into your budget, do not worry. There are many others from which to choose. Ultimately, no matter which card you select, adding a Patrick Mahomes rookie to your collection is always a good thing. To learn more about this gridiron legend and begin your own set, take a look at Mahomes’ Rookie Set on the PSA Set Registry today.
