How High Can Josh Allen Cards Go as the Bills QB Prepares for the Game of his Life?
Josh Allen Rookie Cards Skyrocket as NFL MVP Buzz Builds
MVP finalist Josh Allen has had another fantastic season, and The Hobby has responded to his continued success. While he may once again lose out on the end-of-season award to first-team All-Pro QB Lamar Jackson, Allen's stock could go higher still.
As we can see, in December, as Allen showed out and gained momentum in the MVP race, collectors reacted. Big sales of his 2018 Panini National Treasures Patch Auto /99 propelled the Allen market, first for $9,600 on December 1. All told, Cardladder lists eight sales of this card (at varying grading levels) since then, ranging from the initial sale on the 1st, all the way up to $120,000 for a PSA 10. This card's all-time high came in May of 2022, when a PSA 10 sold for $162,000. As of writing, a PSA 10 2018 Panini National Treasures Gold Patch Auto /10 is listed for $200,000. Overall, Allen posted a 36.07% rate of growth over the last three months, per Cardladder. T
Did this run on Allen, much of which took place before the postseason, reset the market for the superstar? The question is a big one for NFL collectors. After all, beginning this weekend, Allen has a chance to check two of the critical boxes when it comes to his legacy.
First, his Bills square off with postseason nemesis Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas Chiefs on Sunday. A 4-1 regular season record, including a Week 11, 30-21 victory in which he out-dueled Mahomes, has done little to quiet the chatter. Can Allen really win the big one? Can he get one over on the ring-laden Mahomes?
An 0-3 postseason record against the Kansas City superstar still hangs over the brilliant Allen, but surely he's thrilled to have the opportunity to take down Mahomes on the way to the Super Bowl. Josh Allen has long been knocking on the door. Can he break it down?
If he is able to get over the Mahomes-sized hump, Allen stands to lead his team into the Super Bowl as favorites. There are many examples of players and teams who lost at the penultimate step, who once they finally slayed their dragon, won the whole thing. The 2004 Boston Red Sox come to mind, but perhaps the better analogy is that of Peyton Manning, who overcame a 21-3 deficit to overcome Brady, Belichick, and the New England Patriots in the 2006 AFC Championship. Once he got that job done, a Super Bowl felt inevitable. And indeed, a short time later, Manning was a champion. The monkey was off his back. Manning never lost to the Patriots in the playoffs again, beating them twice more in 2013 and 2015.
Sports Illustrated NFL Player of the Year in Cards: Josh Allen
Allen has been given the chance to completely flip the script. If he takes it, can he start to chase Mahomes down in The Hobby as well?
Michael Terry is a writer based in Brooklyn. He specializes in sports, culture, and collecting. His work has appeared at Topps RIPPED, ESPN, Grantland, Vice Sports, and more.