Football card season is about to get busy, and the 2026 rookie class is setting up one of the more interesting hobby debates in a while.
Topps is launching 2026 Topps Flagship Football before the season starts, and with training camp arriving, collectors are already staring at the same question: when the quarterback class is thin, do the other positions finally get a real run?
At the top of the board sits Fernando Mendoza, the easy No. 1 pick in the 2026 Draft after leading Indiana to a National Championship in football. He’s the obvious headliner for the product, but even that comes with a wrinkle. Mendoza may not start right away, because the Raiders also brought in Kirk Cousins, who bounced back a bit in 2025 after Michael Penix Jr. got hurt.
The bigger issue for collectors is that this class doesn’t offer much quarterback depth beyond Mendoza. And if 2025 taught anything, it’s that even a weak QB class doesn’t automatically open the door for everyone else.
Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart both had encouraging moments in 2025, but neither won Rookie of the Year - that honor went to Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan - and neither separated himself as a true star. Even so, Dart still outsold Ward in a big way.
On their 2025 Topps Chrome Gold Auto /50 cards, Ward’s top sale was $3,950. Dart, meanwhile, had multiple true gold sales above $6,500.
McMillan’s numbers were even more modest. His top sale for 2025 Topps Chrome Gold Auto /50 was a redemption for $1,000, and he didn’t have another sale above $690. Emeka Egbuka, in fact, had more gold auto sales over $700 than McMillan did, three to one.
That’s the hobby reality: quarterbacks still drive the market, and any quarterback tied to a New York team can get a boost if there’s even a hint of promise. But this year’s class could force collectors to look elsewhere.
The running backs are there, at least on paper. There are two first-round backs and five wide receivers with Round 1 draft capital.
Jeremiyah Love of the Arizona Cardinals is the name drawing the most attention at running back, especially since he became the first back taken in the top 3 since Saquon Barkley. But Arizona’s backfield is crowded, with James Conner, Trey Benson, and Tyler Allgeier all on the roster for now.
And the hobby has not exactly been kind to running backs. Ashton Jeanty, the top back in last year’s class, was outsold by Cam Skattebo, who flashed plenty but was clearly out-produced by Jeanty.
The New York factor mattered there, along with Skattebo’s highlight-reel, bowling ball style. Even then, Tyrone Tracy was at worst even with Skattebo statistically over the year.
Jadarian Price lands in Seattle in a timeshare with Zach Charbonnet, and even with Round 1 draft capital - he was the final pick of the round - that kind of setup usually doesn’t scream premium. If he’s likely to give up goal-line work to Charbonnet, the ceiling for the card market gets harder to see.
The receivers may be the more interesting play. Carnell Tate goes to the Titans and should be the clear top target in Tennessee, even if the passing game is low-volume.
Jordan Tyson is the clear No. 2 option behind Chris Olave in New Orleans, and Kellen Moore’s up-tempo offense at least gives him a chance to produce if Tyler Shough takes a step forward. Makai Lemon is set to work as the main slot receiver in Philadelphia, though whether he stays on the field enough in 2WR sets is still an open question.
Then there are the situations that come with more caution than excitement. KC Concepcion in Cleveland and Omar Cooper with the Jets both have to be viewed through the lens of shaky quarterback situations.
The landing spots, overall, don’t exactly pop. And with the upside looking limited across the skill positions, it’s tough to imagine any of them out-selling even Carson Beck, who went in the third round to the Arizona Cardinals.
Ty Simpson is the other wild card. The Rams took him in the first round, 13th overall, but his hobby case is strange.
He was viewed as more of a Day 2 prospect before going on Day 1, and he may not play unless something goes badly wrong for Matthew Stafford, who won the 2025 MVP award. The Rams are in a two-year window to chase a Super Bowl before Stafford and Davante Adams retire, which makes Simpson a first-round pick for a win-now team that won’t help on the field for at least two years unless there’s an injury.
That makes Simpson one of the most fascinating names in the class from a market standpoint. He could end up drawing more attention than the skill guys early on, and Carson Beck might as well, depending on how long the holdout with Jacoby Brissett lasts.
For now, Mendoza looks like the clear top chase in 2026 Topps Flagship Football. After that, Simpson and maybe Beck could end up ahead of the receivers and backs. Tyson and Tate should outsell Love, but beyond that, the market gets murky fast.
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