Aaron Rodgers vs. Ben Roethlisberger: Comparing rookie cards of two NFL legends
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Aaron Rodgers has a head-to-head Super Bowl win over Ben Roethlisberger, but the former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has one more title than the current starter for coach Mike Tomlin's team. The two former first-round NFL draft picks will be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but what impact have their decorated careers had on the value and popularity of their football cards?
In his 21st season as an NFL quarterback, Aaron Rodgers is doing his part to position the Pittsburgh Steelers to contend for a trip to the Super Bowl. The next step in the journey for Rodgers and the Steelers is a trip to Cincinnati, where they’ll attempt to tighten their grip on first place in the AFC North against the Bengals on “Thursday Night Football.”
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Rodgers is trying to punctuate one of the most decorated quarterback careers in NFL history by guiding Pittsburgh to the franchise’s seventh Super Bowl title. Ben Roethlisberger led the Steelers to two of those titles during his 18-year career, a body of work that could make him a first-ballot selection to the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible for enshrinement in 2027.
Rodgers and Roethlisberger put together legendary runs for two of the NFL’s most popular franchises, each of which selected them in consecutive drafts (Roethlisberger was picked 11th overall by the Steelers in 2004; the Green Bay Packers made Rodgers the 24th overall pick in 2005). They’re two of the most accomplished quarterbacks of their generation, but which signal-caller has more clout among football card collectors?
Aaron Rodgers vs. Ben Roethlisberger
Score is an entry-level product for football card collectors. Still, it’s notable for its lineage, which goes back to the iconic 1989 set headlined rookie cards of that year’s historic draft class, including Troy Aikman, Barry Sanders and Deion Sanders.
According to Card Ladder, Roethlisberger’s 2004 Score (#381) rookie card has a PSA 10 population of 5,151. A high population explains why PSA 10 copies of a 21-year-old card transact frequently (five online sales verified by Card Ladder in October) for under $100; the most recent eBay auction ended on Tuesday with a winning bid of $57.
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Rodgers’ 2005 Score (#352) PSA 10 rookie card has a fraction of the population (668) of Roethlisberger's. Nevertheless, the card has sold for an average of $87 in October, based on four sales (three eBay auctions and one best offer accepted on eBay) verified by Card Ladder.
For collectors seeking a no-frills, PSA 10 base rookie card of either player, both Score cards (which feature images of Rodgers and Roethlisberger in their NFL uniforms) are suitable options.
Topps Flagship
A step up in prestige from Score, both players have a Topps flagship rookie card. The numbers are flipped, however, when comparing PSA 10 copies of Roethlisberger’s 2004 Topps (#311) rookie card and Rodgers’ flagship rookie card from 2005 (#431) to their PSA 10 Score counterparts.
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Rodgers’ card has the four-figure PSA 10 population (3,989), while Roethlisberger’s card has fewer (667) in circulation. Unlike the Score cards of both quarterbacks, which have similar price points, Roethlisberger’s flagship rookie carries a premium, with 26 online sales verified by Card Ladder in 2025, averaging more than $177.
According to Card Ladder, Rodgers’ PSA 10 Topps flagship card has transacted online 241 times, but at an average price of $147. For the year, Rodgers’ card is down more than 12 percent, while Roethlisberger’s flagship rookie is up more than 131 percent, beginning 2025 with a Jan. 5 eBay sale of $107.50 with a most recent sale of $249 on Oct. 8.
Topps Chrome
The head-to-head comparison between arguably the most iconic rookie cards for Rodgers and Roethlisberger shows that their Topps Chrome base cards are getting closer to each other in value. According to Card Ladder, Rodgers’ PSA 10 2005 Topps Chrome (#190) base rookie card is up more than 43 percent year-over-year, selling for $1,077.88 in an eBay auction on Sunday, Oct. 5, but the value of Roethlisberger’s PSA 10 from 2004 Topps Chrome (#166) is up more than 154 percent since last November.
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Rodgers’ Topps Chrome base rookie card has a PSA 10 population of 282, which is slightly higher than the PSA 10 population of Roethlisberger’s (213). While Roethlisberger’s card has only transacted online 18 times in the last two years, according to Card Ladder (Rodgers’ card has 44 verified Card Ladder sales since Nov. 2, 2023), the value has rebounded nicely after peaking during the pandemic sports card boom (the card’s all-time high sale of $1,225 occurred on Feb. 9, 2021), most recently selling for $899.99 on eBay on Aug. 19.
Conclusion
According to Card Ladder’s player index, Rodgers’ market is almost even for the year (down less than one percent), but Roethlisberger’s is up more than 26 percent. When comparing card values and hobby relevance between the two, however, Card Ladder uses 106 different cards for Rodgers’ player index and only 18 different Roethlisberger cards.
Roethlisberger’s values are trending upward and could continue climbing ahead of his pending Hall of Fame induction. Still, he’s unlikely to match or exceed Rodgers’ status among football card enthusiasts, especially since Rodgers isn’t done adding to his on-field legacy.
-1f9b5aba42acf122a9de17edfe18f6ad.jpeg "Jeff Howe")
Jeff Howe is a sports writer with over two decades of professional experience contributing to ESPN.com, Rivals.com and the Sporting News, among other publications. He currently reports on the Texas Longhorns for “On Texas Football” after covering the Longhorns for 247Sports and CBS Sports. His hobby journey started when he was 6 years old, hanging out at his dad’s card shop and collecting cards alongside his two brothers.