Michael Penix Inks Deal, Trading Cards With Panini America

On Thursday afternoon, Panini America announced it has signed Washington quarterback Michael Penix to an exclusive deal. While Penix has previously signed autographs for Panini's top competitor Topps, appearing in multiple renditions of the company's Bowman products, fans will now be able to only find his cards in Panini products.

Penix's first trading card with the company will be in the Panini Instant set, commemorating his 450-yard, five-touchdown performance against the Boise State Broncos. Going forward, collectors can expect Penix to appear in most college football products released by Panini.

“Michael has clearly emerged as one of the country’s top football players and is a natural fit to join the growing Panini athlete roster,” said Jason Howarth, Panini America's Senior Vice President of Marketing and Athlete Relations. “We look forward to working with him and offering his exclusive products to fans.”

In recent weeks, Penix has been featured in a variety of deals, joining Oregon quarterback Bo Nix as an influencer for the fitness drink Celsius, while also rolling out his involvement in the inaugural "Beats Elite" campaign with Beats by Dre headphones and local clothing store Simply Seattle.

This could prove to be Penix's most substantial deal to date because collectors have shown they are willing to pay a hefty price for autographs from their favorite college quarterbacks. In July 2023, Panini America auctioned off the first autographed card from Arch Manning, Texas quarterback and former five-star recruit, for charity, which sold for $102,500.

While Penix's first "one-of-one" Panini card probably won't reach that same amount, he should see a significant amount of interest from sports card collectors around the country.

As deals and endorsements continue to roll in for the Heisman contender, it's worth noting that Washington's NIL collective Montlake Futures has done a notable job maximizing the value of the Huskies' quarterback.

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