Super Bowl Stakes

Super Bowl Sunday is upon us and this year’s is a great matchup in terms of hobby-relevant players. These are the eight guys I think are vying to change their place in the hobby (players are solely motivated by their football card values after all). A great game can change their cardboard legacy while a bad game might send their cards spiraling. Let’s see whose cards have the most to gain (or lose).

Getting on the Radar

8. Devonta Smith- Smith is on the fringe of hobby relevancy. He was a touted rookie that has produced well, but not at a superstar level. A big game and a Super Bowl MVP could thrust him into the hobby spotlight. His stats are good enough that collectors can talk themselves into buying his cards after a big game without feeling too foolish. That said, even with a big game he’s still on the fringes of hobby relevancy.

7. Chris Jones- Jones is on his way to the HOF eventually, but even that is not enough for defensive players in this hobby. Jones is going to be a fan favorite in Kansas City for ages regardless of what happens on Sunday. A Super Bowl MVP could boost his status nationwide though. It’s doubtful a defensive player is the big hobby winner, but if one is, I’m betting on Jones. I’m also betting on the hobby attention fading fast.

6. Andy Reid- Reid is angling to become a hobby-relevant coach. Perhaps only a hobby-relevant kicker comes with a higher degree of difficulty. I still instinctively laugh when Reid’s name gets brought up as a candidate for best coach ever. I’m an idiot though and Reid absolutely belongs in that conversation. A threepeat will have collectors looking for Reid’s few card offerings and me checking my reflexes a bit more.

The TE GOAT?

5. Travis Kelce- Kelce can finally get out of the shadows with a big game. Those shadows don’t belong to Taylor Swift. They belong to Gronkowski, Gates, and Gonzalez. Kelce is a top 5 tight end of all time and is looking to secure that top spot. He’s 206 yards behind Jerry Rice for most receiving yards in postseason history. He almost certainly won’t pass that, but a big enough game will have the announcing team talking about it constantly. Any time your name is mentioned with Rice, it is good for card values. (As an aside, it is wild that Kelce might not even be the best Chiefs TE. I’m off to buy a Gonzalez RC).

Stars or Superstars?

4. Jalen Hurts- Hurts is the most underrated player in the NFL. I can’t rank him higher though as I can see a world where he wins the Super Bowl and gets little credit. It’ll be unfair, but I can see it happening. Cam Newton recently said he valued his MVP more than a potential Super Bowl trophy. Hurts and Lamar Jackson have similar numbers in regards to TDs and turnovers and wins over the last three years. One will have two MVPs and the other two Super Bowl appearances. The hobby seems to agree with Cam and I’m not sure even a win can change things for Hurts who has been dealing with doubters despite stellar production since his Alabama days.

3. A.J. Brown- My only former student in the Super Bowl has a lot on the line. It’s tough for a wide receiver to make the HOF. Brown is checking most of the boxes stat-wise, but stats aren’t enough for a wide receiver. He’ll need some big postseason performances as well. The hobby is even tougher on wide receivers and only has attention for about three wide receivers at any given time. Chase and Jefferson have two of those spots secured leaving Brown to vie with about a dozen others for the third spot. A big game here can elevate him over the others and secure a spot as a hobby-relevant wide receiver.

2. Saquon Barkley- Running backs have become afterthoughts in the NFL and in the hobby. Barkley has changed some of that thinking, but it took 2000 yards to do it. His cards have appreciated nicely this year but no player is as set for a drop like Barkley if he plays badly and loses. Barkley has a shot at the HOF, but needs another big season or two to get there and non-surefire first-ballot guys seem susceptible to big drops.

The QB Goat

1. Patrick Mahomes- Mahomes doesn’t have that problem. He’s now in a two-man race for the NFL’s best quarterback with Tom Brady. Winning on Sunday would give him something Brady doesn’t have, a threepeat. He hasn’t overtaken Brady yet and likely won’t unless he ages miraculously as well, but he is slowly building a resume that makes comparing the two compelling.

Wrap Up

I’m extremely excited for the Super Bowl, but I am honestly more excited for pitchers and catchers to report and Spring Training to start. With that said, next week starts my 2025 MLB Hobby Preview which I am chomping at the bit to write.