The Cam Ward card market is down, is now the time to buy?
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Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, is having a rough rookie season. His Panini Downtown rookie card is dropping in price. Is now a good time to buy?
Prior to his senior season at the University of Miami, Ward was projected to be a late-round pick coming out of Washington State. Ward, who wanted to raise his draft stock, announced he was transferring to Miami in Jan. 2024. He had one of the greatest seasons at Miami, once known as "Quarterback U."
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Ward set a Miami single-season record with 4,313 passing yards and 39 touchdowns, finished fourth in Heisman voting, and was named the Davey O'Brien Award winner in recognition as the nation's top quarterback. His instincts, playmaking abilities, and preparation made him the No. 1 overall pick by the Tennessee Titans in the 2025 NFL Draft.
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Immediately, Ward was named the Titans' starting quarterback. But it's been a rough start. In nine games, Ward has thrown for 1,760 yards, five touchdowns, and six interceptions. He is currently last in ESPN's quarterback rating, and the Titans are 1-8. Ward's stock is down.
His card market has reflected his struggles this season. His 2025 Panini Downtown rookie is selling for about $550, according to Card Ladder. Less than a month ago, Downtowns that appeared to be in near-mint condition were selling for $750 - $850. In early October, they were regularly selling for $1,200 or more.
Is now a good time to buy? Probably not. Chances are the season will get uglier as Ward takes his lumps as a rookie and the Titans deal with a stunted roster that must be rebuilt over the next couple of years through good draft picks and intelligent free-agent signings.
However, it's obvious that Ward has some elite traits, including his accuracy, leadership, and film study. But he's also stuck in a bad situation, with the Titans having fired head coach Brian Callahan on Oct. 13, following a 1-5 start.
Obviously, he still has things to clean up, but Week 8 was probably the best game of Cam Ward's #Titans career thus far. He's still getting absolutely 0 help from the supporting cast, but he threw some SEEDS pic.twitter.com/eNZytbESgP
— Drew Beatty (@IronCityFilm) October 29, 2025
Over the past couple of years, we've seen young quarterbacks revive their careers in different settings: Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, and Mac Jones. So it's always a good idea to bet on talent, and Ward has loads of it.
As far as Ward's Downtown rookie card, it'll be a matter of finding the right price. Can his card dip to $400 or $300? Given team sentiments, it's not out of the question. At that point, buying his card might be a no-brainer.
Horacio is an avid sports card collector and writes about trending card auctions and news across several major hobby sites, including Sports Collectors Daily and Collectibles on SI.
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