Some of Aaron Rodgers’ best rookie cards make me sad.
When NFL quarterbacks suit up for practice, they don’t wear the standard practice jerseys of their fellow teammates. Instead, they put on bright red jerseys that act as a metaphorical stoplight for the defense to not pound their face to the ground during practice. Funny as it might as sound, the last thing anybody wants to hear is Vince Wilfork pancaking Tom Brady on a Wednesday because Wilfork forgot it was Wednesday.
I bring this up because Aaron Rodgers’ earliest rookie cards feature him in his red practice jersey (the one that screams 'don't hit me, I'm a quarterback). Red and white... like the colors of the San Francisco 49ers. I guess this is the closest I’ll ever get to seeing Rodgers in 49ers colors. Not that I’m bitter.
Rodgers’ slide down the first round of the draft six years ago has been well chronicled, but card companies didn't hesitate to get the Cal (you know, Cal, as in Berkley, as in right next to San Francisco) product's signature. A first-round rookie quarterback is going to get attention and demand from collectors on potential alone, regardless of whether they were the first or last pick. From Sage to Press Pass to Upper Deck and Donruss Playoff, Rodgers has plenty of authentic signed cards, both on-card and on stickers. But the initial demand died down when it became clear that Brett Favre still had some prime years to go. As Rodgers sat behind Favre, the value of his cards was limited, even with a promising future. It soon became a question of if Rodgers would ever play and not when.
A few years and a not-too graceful exit by Favre later, Rodgers is sitting on top of the football world with the same number of Super Bowl rings as his predecessor with none of the baggage.
Click here to see the amazing surge in value of Rodgers rookie cards...
And as a 49ers fan, I know that Smith is doing good this year and that he got a raw deal thanks to San Francisco's horrible management ever since he was drafted, but you can't help but wonder...
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