The rookie quarterback watch is getting louder by the week, and Week 5 only added fuel to it. Fernando Mendoza finally got into an NFL game after the Raiders dropped their second straight, getting blown out by the Patriots. That cameo immediately raises the question of whether the 2026 No. 1 overall pick is next in line to take over, or whether his first start is still somewhere down the road.
Mendoza, though, might not even be the rookie who gets there first. The Cardinals are sitting at 1-4 and heading into games against the Rams and Broncos over the next two weeks, which could open the door for third-round pick Carson Beck to make his move sooner rather than later.
Neither quarterback has a clean path to the field right now, and that kind of uncertainty tends to matter in the hobby. With Panini’s NFL releases arriving sporadically in recent years and premium products often not hitting until months after a season ends, the delay around two of the top three quarterbacks selected in 2026 can actually work in the market’s favor.
Topps, meanwhile, has pushed officially licensed NFL product aggressively, including Flagship before the season begins, which has only made it more important to track when young players actually get their first real shot. For collectors, Mendoza and Beck remain names to watch closely.
While the rookie buzz builds, Trevor Lawrence is quietly giving the Jaguars real staying power. Jacksonville is tied for the second-best record in the AFC and looks clearly ahead of the rest of the AFC South, which should at least put a playoff berth within reach for Lawrence and company.
Lawrence has been far from the letdown label that followed him early in his career. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick is putting together a strong 2026, with 10 passing touchdowns, a top-five passer rating among quarterbacks with at least four games played, and 1,174 passing yards, putting him near the top 10 there as well. After a career-best season last year, he seems to be carrying that momentum into his second year with head coach Liam Cohen.
The market has noticed. Lawrence’s big cards remain unusual pieces because of the lower print counts from his rookie year and the quality-control issues that came with that run.
His Silver Prizm PSA 10 carries a population of 139 and has only sold 14 times since July, according to Cardladder. His 2021 Donruss Optic Downtown PSA 10 has climbed about 25 percent from an early-August level around $1600, though that price point comes with a caveat, since the card has changed hands eight times in the last two months.
There’s real demand there, but also some skepticism baked in.
Bo Nix is heading in the opposite direction. The Broncos entered Week 5 sitting in the bottom third of the league in both passing and rushing, and there wasn’t an obvious injury excuse to lean on. Sean Payton took back playcalling in Week 5 in hopes of jolting an offense that had gone stale, but the result was still a rough 23-16 win over the Chargers.
At this point, the problem looks unmistakable: Denver has a Bo Nix problem. Over his first two seasons, Nix posted a 54:23 TD:INT ratio with 7,706 passing yards, numbers that were helped by one of the league’s heaviest passing attacks.
He has also been viewed as one of the better young quarterbacks in a league short on them. But this year has gone sideways, with Nix now in the bottom third among quarterbacks with at least four starts in both passing yards and completion percentage, even after the Broncos added Pro Bowl wideout Jaylen Waddle from the Dolphins this offseason.
His card market has felt the slide. Nix’s 2024 Silver Prizm PSA 10 has recently sold for less than $525 on multiple occasions.
In August and early September, that same card was regularly fetching $780-$820, a range that was even stronger than where it stood when the Broncos were still in position to challenge for a Super Bowl run last year. There’s time for him to turn it around, especially with the AFC West looking weaker, but a return to preseason card values looks like a tall order right now.
In Other News...
Broncos Defense Gets A Timely Boost Before Arizona Test
The Broncos are getting a much-needed defensive lift at just the right time as they prepare for Arizona. Pat Surtain II has returned to full practice after an ankle injury, and his presence gives Denver a stabilizing force on the back end as the matchup with the Cardinals approaches.
Jonathon Cooper is also back in the mix after being reinstated from the Commissioner Exempt list, giving the pass rush another option for the first time this season. On the other side of the roster, rookie running back Jonah Coleman remains on the path back and is eligible to return from injury within the next 21 days, adding another piece to watch as Denver keeps managing its roster through the season. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Have A Growing Problem They Can't Ignore Up Front
A unit that looked like one of the Broncos biggest strengths entering the 2026 season has become a much louder question as the offense has stalled in recent games. The line was viewed as the leagues top group in preseason evaluations, and Denver committed major money to the front, building around veterans Garett Bolles, Mike McGlinchey and Quinn Meinerz with the expectation that it would be a stable foundation for Sean Paytons offense.
Instead, the production has not matched the investment, and Payton has already acknowledged the need for better play up front if the Broncos want their offense to function more efficiently. For a team trying to establish rhythm and consistency, the concern is no longer just about one rough stretch. It is whether a unit built to be a strength can quickly become a problem Denver cannot keep working around. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Debate Gets More Complicated For A Broncos Team Still Winning
The Broncos quarterback conversation keeps getting louder even as the wins keep piling up, and Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt is pushing back on the idea that a change under center would automatically solve anything. Klatt pointed to Denvers strong defense as a major reason the team is still in the hunt, while also noting that the current debate is really about whether a different quarterback would actually raise the ceiling more than Bo Nix can.
For Klatt, the answer is still no. He suggested the Broncos best path is not a quick switch, but a better version of Nix himself, which is what makes this stretch so tricky for a team that is trying to balance patience with urgency. If the offense keeps sputtering, the question only gets harder, but for now the argument around Denvers quarterback spot remains as much about the long view as the next snap. [Read more 🡒]