Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes cemented himself as the best signal-caller in the NFL with his second Super Bowl win in the bag.
Tom Brady’s retirement officially passed that torch to Mahomes, and with plenty of productive years likely still ahead of him, Mahomes looks like he will hold that title for quite some time.
The Mahomes rookie card market has always been an interesting one. In 2017, he wasn’t really the primary target of most collectors, it was Mitch Trubisky. Deshaun Watson, picked two spots after Mahomes, showed more flashes of being a star in his rookie year. Mahomes only played in Week 17 of his rookie season after the Chiefs clinched their playoff seeding, led by Alex Smith.
Come 2018, however, 2017 products were all anyone wanted, and Mahomes was reason why.
Five straight AFC championship games, two Super Bowl victories and two MVP awards later, any 2017 Mahomes cards will fetch you a pretty penny, but you can still own some without spending into triple digits.
Here are 10 Mahomes rookie cards that you can typically find for $50-$100.
2017 Panini Score #403
A handful of cards on this list will feature Mahomes in his Texas Tech uniform, but that should not deter anyone from picking this card up. Score is typically an early season release, and many Mahomes rookies from this set were probably toosed into boxes, waiting to be unearthed a season later. This one can still be had in the $30-$50 range with PSA 9s stretching closer to $80 or so.
2017 Panini Prestige #232
A sleeker design plus a full bleed photo makes his Prestige rookie rank slightly higher in my book that the Score one–and it’s sometimes a little cheaper, too. You can also sometimes find various Xtra Points parallels of this card for under that $100 threshold.
2017 Panini Classics #274
If you prefer a rookie card with an old school feel, his Classics rookie might be up your alley. Mahomes is once again featured in his college uniform in his minimalist design set. Prices compare favorably with the two cards above and far fewer have been graded to this point.
2017 Elite Draft Picks #145
Elite has always had the feel and look of a higher end set without the high end price tag, and 2017 Elite Draft Picks is no different. If you’re looking for a card with a foil finish, this Mahomes rookie can add some shine to your collection without breaking the bank. The number of high-grade examples is similar to Classic.
*The rest of the cards on this list feature Mahomes in his Chiefs uniform. Some have sold for over $100, but generally speaking these cards fall around $100 and should trend slightly downward the further we get from the Super Bowl victory.
2017 Panini #104
The Mahomes rookie for the base 2017 Panini football set is one of the first collectors could purchase with Mahomes in his professional uniform. The color matching in the card design makes this a solid addition to a Mahomes collection. You can usually find one for less than $100.
2017 Panini Contenders – Rookie of the Year Contenders #RY-3
Contenders has never been known for its valuable base cards or inserts, but this rookie Mahomes insert has been popular among collectors, even though it doesn’t have the “RC” logo. It has one of the most eye-appealing designs of anything on this list, and once again features Mahomes sporting his NFL threads. Ungraded copies shouldn’t cost more than $75.
2017 Panini Rookies & Stars #201
A yearly lower end release, Rookies & Stars won’t wow anyone with its relatively basic card design, but it delivers in color matching. While any Mahomes rookie is a great investment, this one may be higher on Chiefs fans lists for its use of red and white. These have ticked upward in price.
2017 Panini Absolute Rookie Roundup #20
Building on the color match theme from the previous card, this Rookie Roundup insert from Absolute is about as good as it gets when it comes to using the Kansas City red and gold color scheme. The foil finish also adds a touch of flair. If you can live without the “official rookie card” designation, this is an attractive choice for the money.
2017 Panini Player of the Day #R4
Player of the Day packs were typically given to customers in participating hobby shops who make the corresponding purchase that would end them some packs. If you were lucky enough to pull a Mahomes in your packs, you may have struck gold. These are much harder to find than others on this list but prices haven’t gone as high as you might think. There’s a memorabilia version, too.
2017 Panini Donruss Rated Rookie #327
The grail card of this list, and easily the most recognizable, is the Donruss Rated Rookie. The Optic version goes for significantly more than this paper version, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth a buy. Collectors could easily grab this card for under $100 as recently as late 2022, but the Chiefs playoff run and Super Bowl victory has raised the price of this card to levels that were hard to imagine. While it’s jumped over $100, I would expect it to dip some as we get deeper into the offseason.
You can see all of Mahomes rookie cards on eBay here and check out a live list of the ‘most watched’ auctions below.
2021 Panini Prizm #331 TREVOR LAWRENCE SILVER PRIZM ROOKIE PSA 10 GEM MINT
61 bids – Price: $2,450.00 – Watchers: 158
2020 Panini Contenders #111 JORDAN LOVE RED ZONE TEAM HELMET ROOKIE AUTO PSA 10
32 bids – Price: $680.00 – Watchers: 143
2018 Panini Honors 2017 Orange Prizm Patrick Mahomes II RC AUTO /4 BGS 9.5 w/ 10
53 bids – Price: $4,300.00 – Watchers: 118
PATRICK MAHOMES – 2016 PANINI SELECT – 2017 XRC ROOKIE PRIZM SILVER – PSA 10 –
51 bids – Price: $4,050.00 – Watchers: 116
PATRICK MAHOMES PSA 10 2017 DONRUSS OPTIC #177 RATED ROOKIE ORANGE PRIZM /199 RC
40 bids – Price: $3,650.00 – Watchers: 110
2021 Contenders Optic #101 TREVOR LAWRENCE ROOKIE ORANGE AUTO #16/25 BGS 9.5/10
22 bids – Price: $2,025.00 – Watchers: 102
2020 JALEN HURTS SELECT COSMIC PRIZM RC ROOKIE FIELD LEVEL #350 GEM MINT PSA 10
26 bids – Price: $1,125.00 – Watchers: 100
2020 JALEN HURTS SELECT COSMIC PRIZM RC ROOKIE FIELD LEVEL #350 FLAWLESS PSA 10
27 bids – Price: $2,075.00 – Watchers: 98
Trey Lance 2021 Prizm Football FOTL Rookie Auto Blue Shimmer /25 PSA9/10
30 bids – Price: $700.00 – Watchers: 98
2018 Panini Select Black Prizm Patrick Mahomes II Signed AUTO 1/1 PSA 8 SHARP
40 bids – Price: $1,925.00 – Watchers: 98
2021 Panini Donruss Optic #DT9 LAMAR JACKSON WHITE SPARKLE 1/1 PSA 10 GEM MINT
21 bids – Price: $1,051.00 – Watchers: 98
PATRICK MAHOMES 2019 CONTENDERS OPTIC VETERAN TICKET AUTO SP #/25 BGS 9.5 GEM 10
31 bids – Price: $1,025.00 – Watchers: 96
2017 Donruss Optic Patrick Mahomes Pink Prizm Rated Rookie Card RC #177 Chiefs
17 bids – Price: $280.00 – Watchers: 90
2022 Panini Donruss Patrick Mahomes Downtown DT-PM *Superbowl MVP*!
15 bids – Price: $455.00 – Watchers: 89
2020 Prizm PATRICK MAHOMES Sensational Signatures /5 Camo Prizm Auto 10 Psa 9 🔥
34 bids – Price: $661.00 – Watchers: 84
2017 PANINI PRIZM SILVER PATRICK MAHOMES II RC #269 PSA 10 Rookie Football Card
23 bids – Price: $3,600.00 – Watchers: 84
2021 Panini Contenders #101A TREVOR LAWRENCE ROOKIE CRACKED ICE AUTO BGS 9.5/10
24 bids – Price: $2,425.00 – Watchers: 83
2017 Vertex Patrick Mahomes Apogee Auto RC Marble #/10 PSA 10 Auto
49 bids – Price: $2,225.00 – Watchers: 82
2021 Ja’Marr Chase Prizm Silver RC Rookie SP PSA 10!
23 bids – Price: $107.50 – Watchers: 81
2021 Panini Donruss Optic #203 Trey Lance ROOKIE AUTO RED /175 PSA 10 Gem Mint
41 bids – Price: $1,100.00 – Watchers: 81
2020 Contenders Optic #111 Jordan Love ROOKIE AUTO RED /199 PSA 10/10 Gem POP 3
29 bids – Price: $860.00 – Watchers: 79
2005 Upper Deck Trilogy MIGUEL CABRERA Auto Autograph Signature Jersey Patch Bat
42 bids – Price: $242.50 – Watchers: 78
2020 JALEN HURTS #13/25 SELECT PRIZM TIE DYE RC AUTO ROOKIE CARD FLAWLESS PSA 10
20 bids – Price: $3,050.00 – Watchers: 77
2017 Select Patrick Mahomes II Silver Prizm Rookie Jersey Auto RC 80/99 BGS 9/10
27 bids – Price: $3,050.00 – Watchers: 77
PATRICK MAHOMES PANINI DONRUSS OPTIC RATED ROOKIE HOLO PSA 10 MVP 🏈🔥📈💎🐐💦
52 bids – Price: $2,650.00 – Watchers: 76
2020 Select Black Prizm Club Level #302 Patrick Mahomes II 1/1 BGS 9 w/ 9.5
46 bids – Price: $335.00 – Watchers: 76
2020 JALEN HURTS CONTENDERS OPTIC TRUE BLUE AUTO RC #43/75 RARE! FLAWLESS PSA 10
21 bids – Price: $3,050.00 – Watchers: 75
2021 Panini Luminance Tom Brady 1/1 Platinum Holo LIGHTS OUT Insert TRUE 1/1
23 bids – Price: $305.00 – Watchers: 75
2017 National Treasures Patrick Mahomes Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Patch Auto 3/6
29 bids – Price: $2,550.00 – Watchers: 75
2021 Donruss Optic Trevor Lawrence Silver Wave Rated Rookie Prizm RC SP /299
33 bids – Price: $222.50 – Watchers: 75
2017 Panini Crown Royale #84 Patrick Mahomes RC Rookie Gem Mint PSA DNA 10 Auto
35 bids – Price: $630.00 – Watchers: 74
PSA 9 2017 17 Panini Donruss BLUE Optic PATRICK MAHOMES /149 RC Rookie Graded MT
14 bids – Price: $306.00 – Watchers: 71
2004 Timeless Treasures TED WILLIAMS Triple Game Used Worn Jersey Bat Patch READ
26 bids – Price: $61.00 – Watchers: 70
2019 Panini One Power Surge Patrick Mahomes II Signed On Card AUTO 1/10 Chiefs
29 bids – Price: $610.00 – Watchers: 70
2020 Panini Select Hot Stars Gold Prizm Patrick Mahomes PSA 10 7/10 Chiefs
30 bids – Price: $255.00 – Watchers: 69
2017 Panini Silver Prizm #269 Patrick Mahomes II RC Rookie PSA 10 GEM MINT
28 bids – Price: $3,050.00 – Watchers: 67
2018 Panini KABOOM! #PMA Patrick Mahomes II Kansas City Chiefs SSP PSA 10
38 bids – Price: $3,050.00 – Watchers: 67
2017 Donruss Optic Patrick Mahomes Red Yellow Prizm Rated Rookie RC #177 Chiefs
30 bids – Price: $610.00 – Watchers: 66
2022 Panini Donruss Patrick Mahomes Downtown DT-PM *Superbowl MVP*! GEM MINT
33 bids – Price: $488.00 – Watchers: 66
2017 Panini Donruss Optic Patrick Mahomes Red Yellow Prizm PSA 10 GEM MINT MVP
27 bids – Price: $1,525.00 – Watchers: 65
2019 Immaculate Gold Patrick Mahomes Premium Acetate Patch Auto /25 MVP Sealed!
43 bids – Price: $2,325.00 – Watchers: 64
Joe Burrow – 2020 Chronicles Prizm Black Signature Blue /25 – PSA 8
28 bids – Price: $154.50 – Watchers: 63
2017 Donruss Optic Patrick Mahomes II Rated Rookie RC #177 Chiefs
16 bids – Price: $132.50 – Watchers: 63
2017 Patrick Mahomes II BGS 9.5 Panini Prizm Stained Glass SP Rookie Rc #10
48 bids – Price: $3,249.00 – Watchers: 62
2019 Panini One Red Patrick Mahomes II Dual Chiefs Logo Patch AUTO 3/10
17 bids – Price: $1,520.00 – Watchers: 62
2017 PATRICK MAHOMES PRIZM SELECT RC FIELD LEVEL TRI COLOR 08/99 FLAWLESS PSA 10
23 bids – Price: $2,225.00 – Watchers: 61
2017 Donruss Elite Red Rookie Patrick Mahomes II Chiefs 101/149
25 bids – Price: $412.00 – Watchers: 61
2019 Panini Impeccable Platinum Patrick Mahomes II Signed On Card AUTO 1/1 PSA 9
26 bids – Price: $2,425.00 – Watchers: 61
2021 Panini Select #250 Justin Fields Dragon Scale Rookie /89 PSA 10 GEM POP 1
33 bids – Price: $480.00 – Watchers: 61
2021 Panini Eminence #RPA-TRL TREY LANCE RPA ON-CARD ROOKIE AUTO SEALED /10
21 bids – Price: $760.00 – Watchers: 59
2020 Panini Chronicles JALEN HURTS Rookie Prizm Orange Auto /75 SP SSP
34 bids – Price: $1,125.00 – Watchers: 58
2017 Panini Silver Prizm #269 Patrick Mahomes II RC Rookie PSA 10 ” HIGH END ”
22 bids – Price: $3,065.15 – Watchers: 58
2020 Optic Jalen Hurts Rated Rookie Orange Prizm /199 SP SSP RC MVP (sharp)
35 bids – Price: $255.00 – Watchers: 57
2020 TUA TAGOVAILOA CONTENDERS RC AUTO AUTOGRAPH RED ZONE ROOKIE FLAWLESS PSA 10
22 bids – Price: $710.00 – Watchers: 57
2021 Panini Prizm #331 TREVOR LAWRENCE SILVER PRIZM ROOKIE PSA 8.5 NM-MT+
12 bids – Price: $23.50 – Watchers: 55
2022 Donruss Football Patrick Mahomes CRUNCH TIME Blaster Exclusive SP RARE🔥🔥
19 bids – Price: $77.00 – Watchers: 54
2019 Panini Flawless TRIS SPEAKER BOB LEMON JOE SEWELL Bat Jersey Patch Relic/25
12 bids – Price: $29.00 – Watchers: 54
2017 Immaculate Patrick Mahomes II Eye Black Signature Auto Rc SP #EB-PM (22/49)
14 bids – Price: $999.00 – Watchers: 53
2021 Panini Luminance Joe Burrow 1/1 Platinum Holo LIGHTS OUT Insert Bengals 1/1
19 bids – Price: $107.50 – Watchers: 53
PATRICK MAHOMES 2018 Plates & Patches Marquee Marks AUTO ON CARD SN#06/20 PSA 7
1 bids – Price: $599.99 – Watchers: 52
2017 Panini Donruss Optic PATRICK MAHOMES II Rookie Orange #177 #074/199 PSA 10!
37 bids – Price: $3,101.00 – Watchers: 52
2022 Panini Phoenix Archetype Patrick Mahomes Chiefs SSP Case Hit Rare !!
22 bids – Price: $305.00 – Watchers: 52
2018 Flawless PATRICK MAHOMES Dual Diamond Patch Auto GOLD 01/10
43 bids – Price: $1,425.00 – Watchers: 51
2017 Panini Donruss Optic Patrick Mahomes II Rated Rookie RC Chiefs #177 PSA 9
30 bids – Price: $345.00 – Watchers: 51
2017 Panini Donruss Elite Patrick Mahomes II RC GREEN FOIL SP #155 CHIEFS Rookie
6 bids – Price: $81.00 – Watchers: 50
2017 Donruss Optic PATRICK MAHOMES II #177 Rated Rookie
21 bids – Price: $300.00 – Watchers: 49
2017 Donruss Optic – Rated Rookie Red and Yellow Prizm #177 Patrick Mahomes…
4 bids – Price: $650.00 – Watchers: 49
2017 Panini Red White Blue Prizm #269 Patrick Mahomes II Chiefs RC Rookie
30 bids – Price: $103.50 – Watchers: 49
2022 Donruss 🏈 Patrick Mahomes Crunch Time insert 💥
27 bids – Price: $65.00 – Watchers: 48
2022 Panini Mosaic Justin Fields Blue Sparkle Prizm SSP EBAY 1/1 🔥ULTRA RARE🔥
15 bids – Price: $64.00 – Watchers: 47
PATRICK MAHOMES II 2019 PANINI ABSOLUTE TOTT AUTO AUTOGRAPH JERSEY BALL /49
46 bids – Price: $700.00 – Watchers: 47
2017 National Treasures Patrick Mahomes II Triple Jersey Auto RC /99 BGS 8.5/10
25 bids – Price: $770.00 – Watchers: 47
Patrick Mahomes 2017 Donruss Optic Rated Rookie Card Read below
9 bids – Price: $105.50 – Watchers: 46
2021 Panini Absolute Kaboom! K29 Patrick Mahomes II SP Case Hit SGC 8.5
29 bids – Price: $440.00 – Watchers: 46
JALEN HURTS 2020 Panini Spectra Eagles FOTL EXCLUSIVE Radiant Green RPA /35
24 bids – Price: $615.00 – Watchers: 46
2018 Panini Spectra Patrick Mahomes II Recollection Collection Autograph 1/1
29 bids – Price: $594.47 – Watchers: 46
2017 Panini Prizm PATRICK MAHOMES II #269 RC Rookie Silver Prizm SP PSA 9 MINT
29 bids – Price: $745.00 – Watchers: 45
Patrick Mahomes II 2022 Mosaic NFL GENESIS Prizm Super Bowl LIV MVP #293 SSP
11 bids – Price: $56.00 – Watchers: 45
Jalen Hurts 2020 Select Premier Level Neon Green Rookie Prizm /49 Eagles RC SSP
18 bids – Price: $52.00 – Watchers: 45
2020 National Treasures #2 TUA TAGOVAILOA 3 CLR CROSSOVER RPA ROOKIE BGS 9 MINT
33 bids – Price: $290.00 – Watchers: 45
2017 Panini Limited Patrick Mahomes II Rookie Phenoms Jersey RC #78/99 Chiefs
14 bids – Price: $147.50 – Watchers: 44
JALEN HURTS 2020 Encased Inscription Sapphire RC AUTO /25 BGS 9.5/10 GEM MINT
35 bids – Price: $710.00 – Watchers: 44
2017 Panini Prizm Patrick Mahomes RC- Silver Prizm PSA 9 Mint #269 Rookie
12 bids – Price: $757.00 – Watchers: 44
2017 Patrick Mahomes Panini Certified Gold Team Rookie Card Rc PSA 9 Mint
30 bids – Price: $132.50 – Watchers: 43
2019 panini prizm patrick mahomes auto BGS 9.5
35 bids – Price: $660.00 – Watchers: 42
2019 Select Patrick Mahomes II Tiger Prizm PSA 10 Gem Mint 202 Field Level POP 3
16 bids – Price: $490.00 – Watchers: 42
2017 Donruss Optic Red Yellow #177 Patrick Mahomes II Rated ROOKIE RC PSA 9 MINT
46 bids – Price: $660.00 – Watchers: 41
2022 PANINI MOSAIC PATRICK MAHOMES II RAZZLE DAZZLE SSP KANSAS CITY CHIEFS RARE
19 bids – Price: $56.00 – Watchers: 41
2022 Flawless Patrick Mahomes II Josh Allen Jackson Legacy Brand Logo Patch #1/1
10 bids – Price: $415.00 – Watchers: 41
2021 Panini Luminance Aaron Rodgers 1/1 Platinum Holo TRUE 1/1 Green Bay Packers
12 bids – Price: $70.00 – Watchers: 40
2017 Panini Prizm Patrick Mahomes RC- Silver Prizm PSA 9 Mint #269 Chiefs Rookie
29 bids – Price: $837.00 – Watchers: 40
2019 Topps Gold Label MIGUEL CABRERA Auto Autograph Framed Signature Tigers /15
11 bids – Price: $22.50 – Watchers: 40
2017 Panini Vertex Patrick Mahomes Capstones Quad Patch Auto RC #/99 True RPA
57 bids – Price: $899.05 – Watchers: 40
2007 Upper Deck Legendary Cuts LUKE APPLING Cut Signature Auto Autograph 55/59🪐
11 bids – Price: $7.50 – Watchers: 39
2018 Panini National Convention Patrick Mahomes Autograph. SSP. BGS 9.5 Auto 10
11 bids – Price: $750.00 – Watchers: 39
2017 Donruss Optic Holo Prizm The Rookies #7 Patrick Mahomes II RC PSA 10
14 bids – Price: $535.00 – Watchers: 39
2017 Donruss Optic Patrick Mahomes II Rated Rookie RC #177 Chiefs
13 bids – Price: $164.50 – Watchers: 39
2017 Panini Donruss The Elite Series Rookie Patrick Mahomes II RC Rookie #7
16 bids – Price: $152.50 – Watchers: 38
2020 Topps Sterling KEN GRIFFEY JR. Quad Jersey Patch Relic Auto Autograph 3/5
8 bids – Price: $171.50 – Watchers: 38
About Brendan Cross
Brendan Cross is a freelance journalist with a degree from San Jose State. A lifelong sports fanatic, his love of cards really blossomed in 2012 with the first release of Panini Prizm. He’s been hooked ever since, and he loves writing about it.