The first week of the 2026-27 NFL season delivered the kind of chaos that gets people talking fast and spending even faster. With teams tying for the most points ever in an opening week, there was no shortage of headline-grabbing performances, and the card market wasted no time reacting.
At the center of it all was Caleb Williams. Before the season, Bears head coach Ben Johnson floated a bold idea in a training camp article posted by The Athletic, suggesting Chicago could challenge the most points ever scored in NFL history and, in the process, threaten the 2013 Denver Broncos led by Peyton Manning. After Week 1, that comment looks a lot less like a throwaway line.
Williams was electric against the Panthers, finishing with just eight incomplete passes, 334 total yards, and four combined touchdowns. One of the biggest moments came on a 29-yard touchdown run late in the first half, a play that showed off the third-year starter’s speed. D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai did plenty of damage too, combining for 224 rushing yards and four touchdowns against a Carolina defense that was overwhelmed from the start.
The market has followed the production. Williams’ player index on Cardladder, which tracks several of his top cards across his portfolio, has now moved past its level from the end of his rookie season. If Chicago keeps playing like this, the former 2024 No. 1 overall pick could be on his way to becoming the Bears’ first 4,000-yard passer, with much more room to climb if the offense keeps humming.
New York had its own rare moment of sunshine, as both the Jets and Giants opened the season with wins for the first time since 2009. For the Giants, the result carried the bigger punch. Jaxson Dart led the way in a convincing win over the Cowboys, and it was only the second Giants victory over Dallas in the past half-decade.
Dart was sharp from the jump, producing 284 total yards and three touchdowns while picking apart a Dallas defense that was supposed to be improved. That performance came even with Malik Nabers’ status hanging in the balance until an hour before kickoff after his long recovery from a knee injury suffered early in the 2025 season.
His card market moved immediately. Dart’s Silver 2025 Prizm PSA 10 rookie, which had been selling in the low $600s near the end of August, saw multiple sales above $700 after the win. Cam Skattebo’s comparable 2025 Silver Prizm PSA 10 has held in the $120-$130 range, though the PSA shutdown could eventually help lower the pop count for a player with growing buzz.
The Jets’ side of the story was quieter. Their Week 1 win over the Titans didn’t do much for the markets of Breece Hall or Garrett Wilson, even though skill players like those have mostly held value through years of disappointing team results. Still, a bigger swing could be coming if the Jets can knock off a Packers team that has dropped six straight dating back to last season.
The final game of the week was supposed to be a battle between AFC West rivals. Instead, Patrick Mahomes came back from a torn ACL in December and tore through Denver in a 31-10 rout.
That result stung especially hard because the Broncos entered the year with real optimism. Last season, they were viewed as being one bad ankle injury away from a Super Bowl appearance against the Seahawks, and Bo Nix had been a major reason expectations were so high during Sean Payton’s third year in charge.
But the opener was rough. Nix finished with 131 passing yards on 28 attempts, his third-fewest in 35 career NFL starts. The ugly line came with all the offensive pieces available, including Jaylen Waddle, the new addition expected to give the passing game a major boost after Denver led the league in pass attempts last season.
The schedule won’t make things easier. The Broncos open with games against the Jaguars, Rams, 49ers, Chargers, Seahawks, and another meeting with the Chiefs before Thanksgiving arrives. Nix’s card market hasn’t taken much of a hit yet after the Monday night loss, but that could change fast if Denver’s early schedule turns into a long skid for one of the key names from the vaunted 2024 QB rookie class.
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Sean Payton Faces A Bigger Bo Nix Question After Broncos Collapse
Bo Nixs afternoon against Kansas City was the kind of game that leaves a coach searching for answers in every direction. The Broncos quarterback finished with 17 completions for 131 yards and a touchdown, but the turnovers and the overall sloppiness in the loss turned what should have been another measuring-stick game into a fresh reminder of how fragile Denvers offense still is.
Sean Payton now has a much bigger quarterback conversation on his hands, especially with outside voices already wondering whether changes could come at Nix or offensive coordinator Davis Webb. Nix, for his part, pointed to execution rather than play-calling, saying the Broncos were running the calls they were given but not carrying them out well enough, which only deepens the frustration after a defeat that felt like it opened more questions than it answered. [Read more 🡒]
ESPN Just Reignited An NFL Double Standard Debate Fans Know Well
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Former Broncos safety Justin Simmons quickly took issue with ESPN bringing Coopers legal situation into the telecast, and the pushback helped reopen an old argument about where game coverage should draw the line. The reaction from former players and fans has once again put ESPNs treatment of player controversies under the microscope, especially when the topic lands in the middle of a nationally televised rivalry game. [Read more 🡒]