Anthony Richardson or Joe Flacco, Rookie Cards vs Career

The Colts are going back to their young quarterback after a few games out, how much effect will that have on their quarterbacks cards?

Colts quarterbacks, Anthony Richardson, from left, Joe Flacco and Kedon Slovis wait for the next drill during Indianapolis Colts minicamp practice Tuesday, June 4, 2024 at the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center. / Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There are two types of players currently driving interest in the sports card industry: rookies and veterans. It’s rare to see as much back-and-forth during a season between a young starting quarterback and a veteran backup, but reports suggest that, for the rest of the season, Anthony Richardson will be the starter over Joe Flacco.

Colts have gone back to Anthony Richardson as the starting quarterback.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2024

Fanatics secured the exclusive license for some of last year’s biggest rookies in basketball and football: Victor Wembanyama in basketball, and Will Levis, CJ Stroud, and Bryce Young in football. This leaves Anthony Richardson as the most important rookie in last year’s football sets.

Unfortunately, because of Fanatics’ exclusive licensing, these other three quarterbacks won’t have Contenders autographs, National Treasures RPAs, or Prizm autographs—some of the most essential football rookie cards—since they simply don’t exist.

Richardson’s autographs have faced scrutiny a few times in recent years, with some collectors annoyed by the size of his signature.

ISO

ANTHONY RICHARDSON TRUE NT RPA /99

Pic for reference! Not paying over comps pic.twitter.com/h1kogLAXTD

— Dynasty Cards (@dynastycards_) November 8, 2024

Earlier in 2024, there was chatter on social media suggesting Richardson may have had someone else sign his cards. The controversy became so widespread that even PSA had to issue a statement on the autographs.

PSA is not currently conducting any form of independent investigation of Panini over the authenticity of the autographs on these particular cards.

We do evaluate every autograph submitted to PSA for authentication & grading on a case-by-case basis.

If there are questions or…

— PSAcard (@PSAcard) February 16, 2024

It’s not uncommon for a player’s autograph to change over time, but it’s unusual for it to vary significantly within a single year. With no further information released about the autographs, the hobby community has largely concluded that Richardson simply decided to change his signature.

This season, Richardson has faced some challenges following an injury-shortened season last year. His performance last year excited collectors, but things haven’t gone exactly as planned this season, raising the question: should you be buying Joe Flacco cards instead?

The rookie-vs.-veteran debate is a staple in sports cards, with newer rookies typically commanding higher prices. This situation is no different.

Flacco has 1,355 cards from his rookie years, including Topps, Bowman, and Contenders autographs, while Richardson has a whopping 10,932. As a 2022 rookie, Richardson has plenty of cards that collectors might consider his "best," with Prizm and Optic being among the favorites. Richardson also appeared in the fully licensed 2022 Bowman set.

2022 Bowman University Chrome - [Base] #65.1 - Anthony Richardson / Images Courtesy of COMC.com

Which player will hold their value long-term? For Richardson, it’s too early to tell due to his on-field performance and whether he’ll become a star. Although Flacco’s prices are much lower, he is a Super Bowl champion and a potential Hall of Famer.

While Flacco’s cards might lack the high prices of Richardson’s, they’re less likely to experience the fluctuations that Richardson’s cards might see.