Sam Darnold makes waves with New York Jets starting nod

The New York Jets haven't had a lot of luck with quarterbacks in the recent past, but their newest signal-caller will already be in the record book when he sets foot on the field Monday night in Detroit.

At 21 years (and 97 days) old, Sam Darnold will be the youngest starting quarterback in the NFL since the 1970 AFL merger.

That should add a little more attention to the Rookie Cards of the No. 3 overall pick in this year's draft -- at least until the NFL realities kick in. If he does well? Well, then, look out -- because his already pricey cardboard found in 2018 football boxes will get even steeper for rarer cards and autographs.

The former USC Trojans star appears on more than 900 different football cards (so far), ranging as far back as 2015 when Leaf Trading Cards included him in its U.S. Army All-American Bowl releases where he appears on approximately 50 cards and nearly all of them are autographs. Five of those cards are un-numbered while the rest range from one copy up to 50 copies. Twenty of these autos are 1/1 cards and some of them have lofty asking prices on eBay right now while the basic cards might be seen as early bargains. (Completed auctions for the rarities are a little more realistic around $300 a pop.)

Overall, his autographs are in high demand with nearly 500 different certified cards (so far), and a quick search of eBay auctions shows more than 1,300 completed auctions between $40 for unlicensed draft-pick autos and $2,000 for a 1/1 National VIP diamond auto card. The Gold Standard NFL shield auto you see above went for $1,928, while a BGS 9.5 Contenders Draft Ticket 1/1 went for $1,999.99. Those aren't the only highs in that ballpark, but they don't seem too lofty considering he's now got New York starting quarterback status. Active auctions can have a little more oomph to them right now, too, though a lot of higher-end stuff is still to come for NFL collectors.

If he plays well, there's no doubt he could quickly be on the radar of many considering the Jets roster these days and the overall competition in New York when it comes to hobby dollars. There will be plenty more to come in 2018 NFL boxes. It should be fun to watch what happens this season.

Follow Buzz on Twitter @BlowoutBuzz or send email to BlowoutBuzz@blowoutcards.com. 

>> Click here to buy cards on BlowoutCards.com.