What are the best cards to chase in 2026 Topps Chrome Football? If you are opening this product, the obvious place to start is Fernando Mendoza. But the checklist has much more going for it than one quarterback’s rookie cards. There are two Tom Brady Ring of Honor autographs, a one-card Seattle Seahawks Lombardi Trophy Superfractor, a Matthew Stafford MVP Buyback, Gold Shield autograph relics and a handful of wild-looking new inserts that feel built for collectors to talk about after a big pull.
These are our 10 favorite 2026 Topps Chrome Football cards to chase from the official checklist. This is a collector’s ranking, not a resale-price prediction. Topps has not published pack odds yet, so we are not pretending to know exactly which card is toughest to pull. Instead, this list weighs the biggest rookies, signature appeal, unique checklist spots and the cards that would make a rip feel memorable.
Top 10 cards to chase in 2026 Topps Chrome Football
| Rank | Card | Checklist ID |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Mendoza Rookie Variation Autograph | RVA-FM |
| 2 | Tom Brady Ring of Honor Autograph | RHA-TB |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks Lombardi Trophy Superfractor | LT-1 |
| 4 | Matthew Stafford MVP Buyback | 174 |
| 5 | Jaxon Smith-Njigba Gold Shield Autograph | GSA-JS |
| 6 | Jeremiyah Love Rookie Variation Autograph | RVA-JL |
| 7 | Carnell Tate 1991 Topps Football Autograph | 91A-CT |
| 8 | Drew Brees Class of 26 Autograph | CO26-DB |
| 9 | Josh Allen Madden 99 Club | M99-1 |
| 10 | Caleb Downs Rookie Variation Autograph | RVA-CD |
1. Fernando Mendoza Rookie Variation Autograph (RVA-FM)
It is hard to picture a more natural No. 1 than Mendoza’s Rookie Variation Autograph. His base rookie is No. 351, but RVA-FM is the card that combines the product’s headline rookie with an autograph and a separate rookie-card look.
Mendoza is all over this checklist, which is exactly what collectors want from the guy they are chasing. He also has Glass Canvas, Kaiju, Game Genies, Gridlock, Instinct, Shadow Etch, Ultra Violet, Vibes, 1991 Topps Football Autographs and Chromographs. You can make a real Mendoza rainbow out of this product, but the signed Rookie Variation is the card we would want most.
Card: RVA-FM, Rookie Variation Autograph
2. Tom Brady Ring of Honor Autograph (RHA-TB)
Tom Brady in a licensed Topps football autograph set is a big deal. The Ring of Honor Autographs checklist has just five cards and four subjects: Brady, Joe Flacco, Malcolm Smith and Von Miller, with Brady receiving two separate entries.
We are picking RHA-TB over his second entry, RHA-TB2, simply to give collectors one specific card number to watch. Brady also has a Chrome Legends Autograph, Glass Canvas, Kaiju, Ultra Violet and Vibes card, but the Ring of Honor auto is the best combination of name recognition and signature appeal in the product.
Card: RHA-TB, Ring of Honor Autograph
3. Seattle Seahawks Lombardi Trophy Superfractor (LT-1)
Sometimes the coolest card in a product is not attached to the biggest name. The official Lombardi Trophy Superfractor checklist has exactly one card: LT-1, Seattle Seahawks.
That makes this a true product-level monster. It is not a standard player card with a dozen versions to sort through. It is a Seahawks championship-themed Superfractor, and if somebody pulls it, everyone opening Chrome Football is going to know exactly what it is.
Card: LT-1, Lombardi Trophy Superfractor
4. Matthew Stafford MVP Buyback (174)
Topps gives the MVP Buyback its own one-card checklist section, and the only entry is Matthew Stafford, No. 174. That alone makes it a card to know before you start opening packs.
Buyback cards hit differently from a regular insert. There is a story behind them, they do not blend into a big 25-card chase list and collectors will immediately understand why the card matters. Do not confuse it with Stafford’s standard No. 174 base card if one shows up in a break or on the secondary market.
Card: 174, MVP Buyback
5. Jaxon Smith-Njigba Gold Shield Autograph (GSA-JS)
The Gold Shield Autographs are not just regular signed cards. They sit in the autograph-relic portion of the checklist, and Topps has positioned NFL Honors Gold Shield Autographs as one of the premium chases in the product.
Smith-Njigba is one of only five players in the set, along with Carson Schwesinger, Myles Garrett, Matthew Stafford and Tetairoa McMillan. That small checklist, the autograph-relic format and Smith-Njigba’s current star power make GSA-JS the top veteran card on our board outside of Brady.
Card: GSA-JS, Gold Shield Autograph
6. Jeremiyah Love Rookie Variation Autograph (RVA-JL)
Love has one of the deepest rookie checklists in the product, and RVA-JL is the card that pulls everything together. It is a signed rookie variation, separate from his No. 302 base rookie card, Rookie Image Variation and all of his insert appearances.
He also appears in Kaiju, Game Genies, Gridlock, Helix, Instinct, Shadow Etch, Ultra Violet, Vibes, 1991 Topps Football Autographs and Chromographs. There are plenty of ways to collect Love in 2026 Topps Chrome Football, but the Rookie Variation Autograph is the one that belongs in a top-card conversation.
Card: RVA-JL, Rookie Variation Autograph
7. Carnell Tate 1991 Topps Football Autograph (91A-CT)
Every Chrome product needs a card that makes you stop because the design looks different from everything else in the box. Tate’s 1991 Topps Football Autograph is that card for us.
The retro 1991 design works perfectly with a new rookie autograph. Tate is also in the base set as No. 396, plus Glass Canvas, Kaiju, Game Genies, Helix, Ultra Violet, Vibes and Chromographs. But the 1991 autograph feels like the most memorable version of his card in this release.
Card: 91A-CT, 1991 Topps Football Autograph
8. Drew Brees Class of 26 Autograph (CO26-DB)
The Class of 26 Autographs set is only five cards deep: Adam Vinatieri, Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly and Roger Craig. That is a strong group of names for any collector who has spent years building football autograph cards.
Brees is our pick from the set because a Saints-era autograph from one of the defining quarterbacks of his generation never needs much of a sales pitch. This is the kind of card that gives a rip some weight even when it is not tied to the current rookie class.
Card: CO26-DB, Class of 26 Autograph
9. Josh Allen Madden 99 Club (M99-1)
Madden 99 Club is another new football-specific insert, and it is only six cards deep. Josh Allen leads the checklist, followed by Matthew Stafford, Ja’Marr Chase, Smith-Njigba, Trey McBride and Myles Garrett.
This is a fun, clean chase for a player who always has collector demand. The M99-1 is not an autograph, and it does not need to be. It is a six-card set built around the type of player every collector knows, which is more than enough reason to want one in a box.
Card: M99-1, Madden 99 Club
10. Caleb Downs Rookie Variation Autograph (RVA-CD)
It would be easy to make this a list of nothing but quarterbacks, wide receivers and legends. Downs is the defensive rookie who earns his way into the top 10.
His standard rookie card is No. 328, but he also has a Rookie Image Variation, Chrome Radiating Rookies card, Day 1 card, Destiny card, Instinct, Serenity and a Dual Autograph with Arvell Reese. The signed Rookie Variation is the cleanest version to chase and makes this feel like a more complete picture of the rookie class.
Card: RVA-CD, Rookie Variation Autograph
Other notable 2026 Topps Chrome Football cards to chase
- Fernando Mendoza Kaiju (KAI-9): One of the 10 cards in the loud, collector-friendly Kaiju insert.
- Tom Brady Kaiju (KAI-6): The Brady version of that same 10-card Kaiju chase.
- Fernando Mendoza Glass Canvas (GC-13): A 25-card premium insert that also includes Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes II, Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Brady.
- Tom Brady Chrome Legends Autograph (CLA-TB): Another major Brady signature, this time in the 48-card Chrome Legends Autographs checklist.
- Fernando Mendoza Chrome Radiating Rookies (RR-7): A sharp 20-card rookie insert that gives Mendoza another important non-auto chase.
- Jeremiyah Love/Carson Beck Dual Autograph (DA-BL): A fun rookie pairing from the 30-card Dual Autographs checklist.
- Joe Burrow Tecmo Autograph (TA-JB): One of the signed versions of the football-specific Tecmo insert.
- Deion Sanders Hall of Chrome Autograph (HOC-DS): A strong legend autograph for collectors who want something beyond the current stars and rookies.
Why 2026 Topps Chrome Football odds are not included yet
Topps has released the 2026 Topps Chrome Football checklist, but it has not yet published a pack-odds sheet. That is why this ranking does not call one category harder to pull than another or attach made-up rarity labels to the cards.
Once odds are available, we will know more about how the Kaiju, Glass Canvas, Madden 99 Club, Super Bowl at Night, Gold Shield and autograph categories stack up across the various box formats. For now, the most honest way to rank the release is by what a collector would be excited to pull.
2026 Topps Chrome Football product details
Topps describes 2026 Topps Chrome Football as a release built around the 2026 draft class, active NFL players and legends. Its current preorder page lists the following formats:
| Format | Price | Configuration or exclusive parallel |
|---|---|---|
| Mega Box | $79.99 | Six packs, seven cards per pack; exclusive X-Fractors |
| Value Box | $44.99 | Seven packs, four cards per pack; Red, White & Blue Refractors |
| Hanger Box | Not listed | One 14-card pack; Pulsar Parallels |
Availability and pricing can change. You can find the current preorder information on the official 2026 Topps Chrome Football page and the full card list in the official Topps checklist.
2026 Topps Chrome Football FAQ
Who are the top rookies in 2026 Topps Chrome Football?
Fernando Mendoza, Jeremiyah Love, Carnell Tate and Caleb Downs are among the top rookie chases on the official 2026 Topps Chrome Football checklist. Each has a base rookie card and additional insert or autograph appearances.
Does 2026 Topps Chrome Football have Tom Brady autographs?
Yes. Brady has two entries in Ring of Honor Autographs, plus a Chrome Legends Autograph. He also appears in Glass Canvas, Kaiju, Ultra Violet and Vibes.
What is the rarest card in 2026 Topps Chrome Football?
The Seattle Seahawks Lombardi Trophy Superfractor is the only card listed in its checklist section. Topps has not released pack odds yet, so we cannot compare its pull rate with every other chase category.
Has Topps released 2026 Topps Chrome Football pack odds?
Not yet. Topps has released the checklist and preorder details, but a pack-odds document was not available at the time of writing. This article will be updated when Topps publishes one.
