There was a time when rookie football cards were an afterthought for most collectors — heck, even during the hobby boom of the 1980s, you could pick up Walter Payton rookie cards all day long for just a few bucks a pop.

Those days are long gone, though, for better or worse.

Sweetness himself was responsible for a large part of that gridiron awakening, as his run past Jim Brown as the all-time leading rusher in 1984 really captured the hobby’s imagination. And then, when Payton’s Chicago Bears dominated the NFL in 1985 on their way to a Super Bowl Shuffle, the temperature of football cards started to heat up.

Through the 1990s and into the very early 2000s, football cards — along with basketball cards — made steady inroads into the collector market.

And then, when when Tom Brady burst onto the scene and led the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl victory after the 2001 season, he joined Indianapolis Colts superstar Peyton Manning in a sort of hobby tit-for-tat that was football’s version of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

The decades since have only solidified Brady’s place in the game, and the status of football cards (rookie cards in particular) as high-scoring, hobby-pleasing collectibles that can stand cleat-to-cleat with any other sport in the land … even if it remains a bit seasonal compared to baseball (especially vintage baseball).

And, if you ever need proof of that gridiron fire, just check out the list below of the 25 most-watched rookie football cards on eBay RIGHT NOW. Check back often, too, as this list is continually updated.

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2022 PANINI PRIZM FOOTBALL BAILEY ZAPPE GOLD VINYL 1/5 FOTL ROOKIE CARD CENTERED

Watchers: 142  
# of Bids: 21
Current Bid: $4000
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 03:03
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2017 PANINI PRIZM PATRICK MAHOMES II SILVER #269 ROOKIE CARD CHIEFS RC PSA 10

Watchers: 132  
# of Bids: 27
Current Bid: $3200
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 01:03
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2022 NFL Prizm Kenny Pickett Silver Prizm Auto Card No. 301

Watchers: 86  
# of Bids: 17
Current Bid: $510
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 04:03
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2021 TREVOR LAWRENCE Rookie RC Prizm silver #331 SP (very sharp card)

Watchers: 83  
# of Bids: 26
Current Bid: $153.5
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 00:03
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PSA 6 1958 Topps #62 Jimmy Brown Cleveland Browns HOF ROOKIE CARD BREATH TAKING!

Watchers: 71  
# of Bids: 21
Current Bid: $2469
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 03:03
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Lamar jackson rookie card 1/1 autograph jumbo

Watchers: 70  
# of Bids: 23
Current Bid: $355
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 23:03
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2000 Bowman #236 Tom Brady Patriots RC Rookie PSA 10 GEM MINT " HOT CARD "

Watchers: 69  
# of Bids: 26
Current Bid: $3100
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 03:03
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2020 Panini Limited Jalen Hurts RPA Patch Auto /49 Rookie RC SP On Card 4 Color

Watchers: 64  
# of Bids: 10
Current Bid: $275
Auction Ends: 24-Mar-2023 17:03
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HUGE NATIONAL TREASURES ROOKIE PATCH AUTO LEBRON JAMES PRIZM RPA SPORTS CARD LOT

Watchers: 64  
# of Bids: 42
Current Bid: $305
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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Patrick Mahomes 2017 Silver Prizm Rookie Card RC #269 PSA 9 MINT

Watchers: 64  
# of Bids: 33
Current Bid: $872
Auction Ends: 25-Mar-2023 00:03
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HUGE NATIONAL TREASURES ROOKIE PATCH AUTO PRIZM OPTIC SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 61  
# of Bids: 21
Current Bid: $305
Auction Ends: 25-Mar-2023 01:03
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2022 Prizm Football - Sam Howell Rookie Card/RC - Mojo Variation SSP 14/25

Watchers: 61  
# of Bids: 14
Current Bid: $228
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 08:03
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2022 Panini Immaculate NFL Kenny Pickett RPA Steelers Rookie /99 On Card Auto

Watchers: 56  
# of Bids: 15
Current Bid: $270
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 23:03
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1981 Topps Football #216 Joe Montana 49ers HOF RC Rookie Card NM-MT PSA 8

Watchers: 56  
# of Bids: 26
Current Bid: $305
Auction Ends: 29-Mar-2023 02:03
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2000 BOWMAN TOM BRADY ROOKIE FOOTBALL CARD PSA 7 NM NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS RC!

Watchers: 55  
# of Bids: 27
Current Bid: $511
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 01:03
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2022 Bailey Zappe Immaculate RPA Letter Patch On Card Auto 15/25 SSP PRIZM

Watchers: 55  
# of Bids: 16
Current Bid: $59
Auction Ends: 27-Mar-2023 12:03
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2021 Panini Immaculate Cleat Impressions ON CARD AUTO Rob Gronkowski /25

Watchers: 54  
# of Bids: 21
Current Bid: $180
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 02:03
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HUGE ROOKIE PATCH AUTO GRADED SLAB PSA AUTOGRAPH RPA SPORTS CARD COLLECTION LOT

Watchers: 54  
# of Bids: 17
Current Bid: $56
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 04:03
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2021 PANINI ENCASED TREVOR LAWRENCE RC SAPPHIRE ON-CARD AUTO /35 BGS 9 AUTO 10

Watchers: 53  
# of Bids: 25
Current Bid: $215.5
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 03:03
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2022 panini immaculate Breece Hall Rookie RC RPA /25 on card auto swee patch 🔥

Watchers: 52  
# of Bids: 18
Current Bid: $177.5
Auction Ends: 28-Mar-2023 01:03
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Kenny Pickett 2022 Prizm #301 Rookie Card Purple Ice SP /225 Steelers nice!

Watchers: 52  
# of Bids: 18
Current Bid: $102.5
Auction Ends: 25-Mar-2023 01:03
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2022 Panini Donruss Kenny Pickett Downtown Rookie Card #DT-KP RC - Case Hit SP

Watchers: 51  
# of Bids: 0
Current Bid: $499.99
Auction Ends: 26-Mar-2023 01:03
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2022 Flawless Collegiate Football #1/20 Kenny Pickett RC AUTO On Card RPA Rare

Watchers: 51  
# of Bids: 40
Current Bid: $330
Auction Ends: 24-Mar-2023 13:03
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Huge Lot of Sports Cards Vintage, Hall of Famers, Stars, Rookies+++ 800 Total

Watchers: 49  
# of Bids: 7
Current Bid: $45
Auction Ends: 29-Mar-2023 01:03
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2005 Topps Aaron Rodgers #431 Rookie Card PSA 10 GEM MINT

Watchers: 49  
# of Bids: 48
Current Bid: $340.6
Auction Ends: 24-Mar-2023 16:03
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