Ushering In a New Era at Quarterback

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]With one game left in the NFL season, the Kansas City Chiefs will meet up with the San Francisco 49ers for the Lombardi Trophy.
This will be the Chiefs’ first appearance since Super Bowl 1, while the 49ers have a long tradition of Super Bowl appearance (and wins) dating back to 80’s.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”5/6″][vc_column_text]One common denominator between these two teams are the young signal callers. 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes was an offsides penalty away from being Super Bowl bound last season, while Jimmy Garoppolo already has 2 Super Bowl rings, but as a backup in New England. In 2019, they will be on opposite sides of the field as they usher in what feels like a changing of the guard in the NFL. For the better part of 2 decades, veteran quarterbacks like Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers and Aaron Rodgers have been fixtures in championship games, but with the long term future of these players (minus Rodgers) a bit murky, it’s time for a new generation of players to take the reins and lead their team to the promised land. We breakdown not only the Super Bowl QBs, but also some of the other younger QBs that will have an impact on your collection over the next 5+ years.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/6″][vc_single_image image=”106358″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”106356″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Patrick Mahomes” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]The rise of Mahomes has been well documented. The 24 year old QB has an MVP to his name and could be a Super Bowl champ in a little over a week. Not bad for only being in the league for 3 years. If you are in the hobby, you know Mahomes is the guy to own and that isn’t changing any time soon. Much like the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie card was a staple in many collections, the 2017 Prizm Patrick Mahomes rookie is looking like the new go to. Some of the Prizm rookies are known to have the manufacturing bubble issue over his shoulder which brings down the grade and value, but raw, the card is currently selling for $325-$400+ and is a must have for any Mahomes fan or football card collector.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hobby Card Stock” style=”flat” color=”warning” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcardsczar.com%2F%3Fs%3Dpatrick%2Bmahomes||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”yellow”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”106355″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Jimmy Garoppolo” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][vc_column_text]Even though it feels like Jimmy G has been around forever (he was a rookie in 2014), 2019 was actually the first season Garoppolo was able to lead his team for a full NFL season. He was acquired in a midseason trade in 2017 and made his 49er debut in Week 12, then in Week of the 2018 season, he tore his ACL and landed on the IR. In 2019, he started all 16 games and set career highs across the board while leading the 49ers to the 1 seed in  NFC.

Over the last few weeks, Garoppolo’s 2014 Topps Chrome Refractor and Prizm Silver raw rookie cards have seen a nice bump to the $30+ range and I envision that price to continue to move up as we get closer to the Super Bowl. Note that both cards have picture variations and some are rarer than others.

For Topps Chrome, the regular version is Garoppolo throwing, while the variation pictures him running. According to CardboardConnection.com, it would take 323 Hobby Packs to pull a variation of Garoppolo.
CardboardConnection.com also states that there are 3 versions of Garoppolo’s 2014 Prizm rookie card. Base has him facing left, Variation 1 has him facing right, and Variation 2 has the ball in one hand and is considered SSP (Super Short Print). Since the NFC Championship win, we’ve seen the 2014 Prizm Silvers jump into the $40+ range. Even though Topps Chrome used to be the Refractor to own, with Topps being out of the football game, collectors continue to go the route of Prizm Silvers which has boosted the demand and price for Prizm’s shiny pieces of cardboard.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”View Hobby Card Stock” style=”flat” color=”warning” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fcardsczar.com%2F%3Fs%3Djimmy%2Bgaroppolo||target:%20_blank|” el_class=”yellow”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator][vc_column_text]

Alright, now that we talked about the Super Bowlers, let’s put the best of the rest young QBs in a tier:

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Tier 1

Lamar Jackson

Patrick Mahomes would be joining Lamar Jackson here, as they are in a class of their own. Jackson has been one of the most exciting players to grace us with his athletic ability for some time now. Can he stay healthy? That is the #1 question, but he has grown as a passer in just two years, so year 3 should see some improvement in the air.

Tier 2

Russell Wilson

The elder statesman on this list, Wilson was just on the cusp of being eligible for this list based on my super secret formula, but seeing that he is still playing at an elite level (and should continue to do so for 4-5 more years), Wilson will be a hobby staple and could see his ceiling rise if he gets back to the Super Bowl.

Kyler Murray

The 2019 #1 overall pick did not disappoint and helped turn the Cardinals offense into an NFL caliber unit at times. Many will be expecting a meteoric rise in 2020 like we saw from Mahomes and Lamar in their 2nd season so that may keep Murray’s prices rather high for the time being. I’d expect a Lamar-lite 2020 season from Kyler, but believe there will be an improvement in arm talent from the former Heisman winner. I am sitting on a couple 2019 Prizm rookies and will likely get them graded, while I hope to pick up another auto or two this off season.

Deshaun Watson

Watson struggled at times this season, but any questions about his ability to be a Franchise QB should have been wiped away from his play in 2019. I think Watson is one of the safest investments, as he is tied to an elite WR (Deandre Hopkins) and the Texans have focused their resources on the Offensive Line in front of him. If his WR2 Will Fuller could find a way to stay healthy all 16 games, Houston could see themselves as the 1 seed. Much like Mahomes, the 2017 Prizm is a solid piece to buy at an affordable price, but unlike Mahomes, you can still get a solid Deshaun auto for ~$100.

Tier 3

Carson Wentz

Quietly, Wentz had a great season. For the better part of 2019, he had to throw to banged up or back up receivers, yet was able to will the Eagles into the playoffs. Wentz’s Prizm Silvers (Raw $15-$25) and Donruss Optic Holo (Raw ~$10) rookies will continue to be undervalued because those didn’t truly turn into a chase card until the 2017 Draft Class (Mahomes, Watson, Kamara), but maybe they will pick up steam if/when Wentz can put together an MVP season one of these years. Autos from lower end sets can be had for ~$100, while depending on the parallel, you can get a Prizm with some ink on it for $300-$600. Looking at the price for some of the guys in Tier 1 (a Tier Wentz could flirt with in 2020), Carson may be a great guy to invest in now.

Dak Prescott

Being a Cowboy helps Dak’s value up a bit. I am confident that he and Jerry Jones will come to an agreement on a contract that will pay Dak $30m+ a year ($5m too much in my opinion), so that Cowboy bump should continue (no I am not talking about drugs. That’s the 90’s Cowboys) for the foreseeable future. Though much like Carson Wentz, Dak may suffer from the pre-2017 bias and his shiny rookie cares won’t be as desirable as those rookies after him. Personally, I am not buying Dak at this moment as an investment. I’d love to get his rookie auto in a trade, but I’d rather spend $150 elsewhere right now. If Dallas can make a playoff run this decade, maybe I’ll change my mind.

Joe Burrow

Oh you’re damn right I am putting the future Cincinnati Bengal in Tier 3. Yet to play an NFL down, people will be lining up to buy the Bengals in 2020 NFL box/case breaks because of the surefire #1 overall pick Burrow.

Baker Mayfield

Yes, 2019 was a terrible season for Baker and the Browns considering their lofty expectations, but I’m not panicking yet. In fact, I’m buying Baker’s Prizm Auto if prices stay where they are at. As of 1/21/20, the last few sales on eBay are $222.50 (BGS Auction9.5), $225 (Auction Raw), $149.50 (Auction Raw), $140 (Buy It Now BGS 9.5). (Wide Eyes emoji) at that last price. Mark my words, we have not seen the last of Baker Mayfield excelling in the NFL.

Tier 4

Josh Allen

I like Josh Allen. He seems like a good guy and he is athletic AF, but folks, he isn’t a very good passer so I don’t see his ceiling being much higher than where he is at right now. I’ve been on the hunt for his auto to add to my PC, but I’m not looking to spend much more than $50-$75, as I don’t see him ever being an elite QB in this league.

Jared Goff

Speaking of non-elite QBs, Jared Goff why do you do this to us? Yes, losing the Super Bowl causes a hangover and the Rams offensive line was less than ideal this year, but Goff looked lost at times. Did the Patriots break him? That last comment was tongue in cheek, but his below average play definitely impacted his card value. Cards that were going for $150+ at this time last year are now being sold or razzed for less than half that. Hell, if you have an extra $30 laying around, you can pick up a lower end RC auto on eBay. Not bad for a guy leading what is still a high powered offense in LA.

Sam Darnold

The New York bump helps Darnold stay relevant even though he struggled when he wasn’t sidelined with mono. The Jets are a weird team and I don’t think Darnold is surrounded by enough talent to thrust him into the upper echelon of QBs in this league and hobby.

Tua Tagovailoa

Speaking of bumps, the Bama bump should help Tua’s hobby value now that he has entered the 2020 NFL Draft. If he goes to a team that will give him a chance to heal 100% and sit behind a veteran to learn the pro game, I could see him jumping up into the Top 3 tiers easily.

Daniel Jones

Another New York bump, unlike Darnold, Jones has some talent around him that should help bolster his stats in 2020. I like Jones as a solid investment opportunity, though I plan on waiting until this Spring to start snatching up some of his cards, as the value should dip a bit in the off season

Tier 5

Drew Lock

Before getting hurt, Joe Flacco looked like he was all but washed up so Lock should enter 2020 as the Broncos starter. When he was finally healthy, the former Missouri QB impressed with a 90.9 QB Rating and 7:3 TD:INT ratio. Given first reps all offseason, Lock is primed for a breakout sophomore campaign.

Gardner Minshew

You can’t deny Minshew’s eccentric personality having a sway on collectors. He will always have some sort of hobby appeal even if he’s relegated to backup duty in Jacksonville. If I’m the Jags front office, I’m looking at options to move Nick Foles ASAP and making Gardner and his ‘stache the face of the franchise.

Jameis Winston

Is Jameis the most maddening player in the NFL? I’m assuming that Tampa re-signs him considering that starting from scratch at QB would essentially reset the franchise, and Jameis showed signs of being a top half NFL QB at times last season. He’s got potential star appeal and a good looking auto, so I wouldn’t be shocked to see his value rise if he can keep the turnovers down in 2020.

Dwayne Haskins

The 2019 first round pick simply wasn’t ready to start and that’s why Jay Gruden refused to play Haskins before he was ready. We saw some dreadful play from him, but I think 2020 will be a better season for Haskins now that there is a new regime in Washington.

Tier 5

Ryan Tannehill

If you’re Tennessee, what do you do with Ryan Tannehill? He was a great game manager who was able to win a few games with his arm in 2019. His play alone has at least earned the Franchise Tag from Tennessee, but the bigger priority will be re-signing RB Derrick Henry. Without him, the Titans would have had to rely on Tannehill way more, and if that was the case, there was no chance they would have made it to the AFC Championship.

Teddy Bridgewater

Teddy 2 Gloves has said he wants to stay in New Orleans after an undefeated tenure as the Saints QB. The question now is will another team throw the Brinks truck at the pending free agent? With soon to be 41 year old Drew Brees due to count against the salary cap for $21.3m in 2020, can the Saints convince Teddy to take a lower valued bridge contract until Drew hangs them up? If you feel like gambling, spend a few bucks on Teddy Bridgewater this offseason, but know it may take a few years before you see a return.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”blog-callout”]Did we miss anybody on this list? Were we totally wrong about someone on this list? Let us know Facebook or Instagram, and of course can also comment down below[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”106366″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//set/2018-phoenix-football-base-set/”][vc_single_image image=”106361″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/russell-wilson-2018-illusions-living-legends/”][vc_single_image image=”106362″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/kyler-murray-2019-contenders-draft-picks-game-day-tickets/”][vc_single_image image=”106363″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/deshaun-watson-2017-donruss-optic-rookie-gridiron-kings/”][vc_single_image image=”106375″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/baker-mayfield-2018-illusions-illusionists/”][vc_single_image image=”106377″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/josh-allen-2018-select-concourse-level-silver-prizm/”][vc_single_image image=”106380″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/sam-darnold-2018-contenders-rookie-of-the-year-contenders/”][vc_single_image image=”106381″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/sam-darnold-2018-contenders-rookie-of-the-year-contenders/”][vc_single_image image=”106382″ img_size=”full” onclick=”custom_link” img_link_target=”_blank” link=”https://cardsczar.com/football//product/dwayne-haskins-2019-contenders-draft-picks-game-day-tickets/”][/vc_column][/vc_row]