Lamar Jackson's card market could soar with return to field
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Even though a hamstring injury in a Week 4 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs has forced Lamar Jackson to miss the Baltimore Ravens' last three games, the quarterback’s absence from the field hasn’t hurt his football card values.
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Jackson’s Card Ladder index shows that the card market for the two-time NFL MVP is up 6.26 percent since Sept. 30. With the NFL trade deadline looming, Jackson could be one of the players whose card values most benefit from the wheeling and dealing expected to happen before business closes on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. ET.
The Ravens wouldn’t think about trading the face of the franchise or the pieces around Jackson. Still, Baltimore snapped a four-game losing streak with last Sunday’s 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears ahead of Jackson’s return for Thursday’s road game against the Miami Dolphins.
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Those two happenings, coupled with potential trade activity involving the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly eying another offensive weapon to help quarterback Aaron Rodgers put the top spot in the AFC North within realistic striking distance for the 2-5 Ravens. If the trade deadline dust settles and Baltimore is positioned to make a run, there’s room for Jackson’s cards to get a shot in the arm in the second half of the 2025 NFL season.
Although Jackson’s market has remained steady throughout his injury recovery, Card Ladder’s verified sales information shows that Jackson’s 2018 Panini Prizm Football (#212) PSA 10 base rookie card has lost more than 28 percent of its value since Sept. 1. The most recent sale of Jackson’s PSA 10 base Prizm rookie card was $271, which came via an eBay auction that closed on Tuesday.
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To put into perspective where arguably Jackson’s most iconic rookie card sits in terms of up-to-date value, fellow 2018 draftee Josh Allen’s PSA 10 base Prizm rookie card (#355) recently outsold Jackson’s card by more than $80, with a $355 eBay sale on Wednesday.
A PSA 10 Baker Mayfield base Prizm rookie card (#201) sold for $100 (best offer accepted) on eBay on Wednesday. With that said, the 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick’s PSA 10 Prizm rookie card is one of the highest-rising cards in the football market since Sept. 1, up more than $83 and 189 percent, according to Card Ladder.
The data points to football card collectors, dealers and investors waiting to see what Jackson does when he’s back behind center before deciding what to do with the cards they're holding. Patience could pay off if Jackson and the Ravens rebound from their slow start while their AFC North counterparts contemplate where their respective seasons are headed.
-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.