Week 3 NFL Hobby Overreactions: Raiders, RBs, and Josh Allen

The Raiders’ 3-0 Start Is Changing the Hobby Conversation

Week 3 brought a cleaner injury picture across the NFL, and the biggest surprise in the standings is also creating one of the most interesting storylines in the card market. The Las Vegas Raiders are 3-0, and that alone has already started to ripple through collector sentiment.

For a franchise with a long history and plenty of recent frustration, a 3-0 start is notable on its own. It is only the third time in the past 25 years that the Raiders have opened a season with three straight wins. It also adds a new layer to the hobby outlook around the team, especially when it comes to quarterback Kirk Cousins and the eventual arrival of Fernando Mendoza.

Cousins has been excellent through the first three games, throwing three touchdowns in each contest. That level of production makes it difficult to imagine the Raiders moving away from him anytime soon, even with Mendoza viewed as the team’s long-term answer. For collectors, that creates a complicated short-term market. Mendoza remains the future-facing name, but the team’s success is delaying any clear path to playing time, which can slow the momentum that often comes with a rookie quarterback taking over.

The situation is especially notable because the Raiders are the first team with the No. 1 overall pick in the previous draft to begin the next season undefeated through three weeks. That kind of start can reshape expectations around both the roster and the card market, particularly if the team continues winning behind Cousins and the offense keeps producing.

The broader impact could also reach other key Raiders pieces. If the team keeps winning and Mendoza eventually gets a chance, collectors could see renewed interest in the team’s offensive core, including Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers. Both have already delivered week-winning moments early in the season, and sustained team success tends to amplify that kind of attention.

Fernando Mendoza’s Market Waits for a Clearer Path

Mendoza entered the season as one of the most talked-about names in Topps’ licensed football push, and his market has been tied closely to the idea that he would eventually become the Raiders’ starter. That path looks less immediate now. With Cousins leading a 3-0 team and playing at a high level, there is little reason to force a change.

That makes Mendoza a classic long-game collector hold. His value may not move much until the team’s quarterback situation changes, but the upside remains tied to what he could do if he eventually takes over a winning roster. If Mendoza can step into a successful offense and produce quickly, the market could respond in a major way. For now, though, the Raiders’ early success is keeping that door closed.

Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs Are Giving Running Backs a Boost

Running backs have often been treated cautiously in the hobby, but the early-season production from Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs is making it harder to ignore the position. Robinson has 467 total yards through three games, while Gibbs has 463 total yards and six touchdowns over the same stretch.

That puts the pair in rare company. Their combined production trails only O.J. Simpson in 1973 and Emmitt Smith in 1995 for the most combined yards through three games to open a season since the NFL merger. It is an impressive start for two backs who are carrying major offensive workloads for their teams.

Robinson has been especially important for Atlanta, while Gibbs has helped keep Detroit productive even as the defense has struggled. The Lions have allowed the most passing yards through three games and the second-most total yards overall, but Gibbs has still been a major bright spot. Atlanta, meanwhile, had not reached the red zone on any possession through the first two weeks before Michael Penix’s return helped spark a strong showing in a Thursday night win over Green Bay.

The card market has already reacted. Robinson’s 2023 Silver Prizm PSA 10 has seen multiple sales around $220 after spending much of the summer in the $150 to $180 range. Gibbs has also climbed, with his 2023 Silver Prizm PSA 10 moving from roughly $200 during the summer to multiple sales near $300 over the past 60 days.

Those gains do not guarantee a long-term shift in how the hobby values running backs, but they do show that elite early-season production can still move the market. If Robinson and Gibbs keep piling up yards and touchdowns, collectors may continue to treat top running backs as more than short-term flashes.

Josh Allen’s Value Still Depends on the Postseason

Josh Allen continues to be one of the most interesting quarterback cases in the hobby. Buffalo is undefeated through three weeks, and Allen has the Bills positioned as one of the league’s most dangerous teams despite a difficult opening schedule.

From a football standpoint, the start has been strong. From a card-market standpoint, the response has been more measured. Allen’s value has long been tied to postseason success, and that has not changed. Even with the Bills undefeated and Allen among the favorites in the MVP race, collectors have not pushed his market into the kind of territory that would match the top tier of modern quarterback cards.

That caution stands out because Buffalo has the second-shortest Super Bowl odds at +750, behind only the Rams at +650. Allen also enters the season as the odds-on favorite for MVP. Under normal circumstances, that combination would create a stronger hobby surge. Instead, the market has remained relatively restrained, suggesting collectors still want to see more before fully pricing in a championship run.

There has been some positive movement, and another undefeated stretch could help. Buffalo’s upcoming schedule includes games against the Rams, Ravens, and Raiders, all of which could matter both in the standings and in the hobby. If the Bills are still undefeated by Week 9, the market may be forced to reassess Allen’s current ceiling.

The rest of the schedule could also work in Buffalo’s favor. From mid-November on, the Bills project to face only four teams with a record above .500, which means the path to a strong regular season remains manageable. For collectors, that raises an important question: how much can sustained regular-season success move Allen’s market if postseason results are still the main driver?

What Week 3 Says About the Card Market Right Now

The early part of the 2026 season is offering a useful snapshot of how quickly the hobby can react to on-field performance, but also how selective those reactions can be. The Raiders’ unbeaten start is creating new questions around Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza. Robinson and Gibbs are showing that running backs can still generate real collector interest when the production is historic. Allen, meanwhile, is reminding the market that even elite regular-season play does not always produce an immediate spike if the postseason résumé is still incomplete.

That mix of surprise, production, and patience is shaping the current football card landscape. For collectors, the next few weeks will matter a great deal, especially as undefeated teams keep testing assumptions about player value and long-term demand.