Aaron Jones, O.J. Howard & Eddie Jackson grab Sunday spotlight

With Leonard Fournette out due to injury, Deshaun Watson on a bye week and Kareem Hunt on Thursday night, yesterday’s NFL action was a stage primed for a new rookie arrival or two.

And three did.

Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones put up his best game of the season on Sunday with 17 carries for 131 yards and a touchdown while the spotlight was on QB Brett Hundley playing in place of Aaron Rodgers. Jones also caught three passes for seven yards. This fifth-rounder out of UTEP actually had a 125-yard game in Week 5 and a score in that game, too, but that was all lost in the glow of Rodgers’ fourth-quarter comeback win-sealing TD against the Cowboys.

Jones appears on fewer than 100 different football cards so far in 2017 releases and has a modest number of autographs that are only found in Absolute, Certified Cuts, Leaf Draft, Gold Standard and Unparalleled. That sounds like a lot, but in reality it’s nine cards in Unparalleled and no more than five (and mostly three) in others. That’s not a lot when he’s in the spotlight. (Update: He’s also in Prizm, which arrives this week.)

Aaron Rodgers signs autograph exclusive with Steiner Sports

The Green Bay Packers’ quarterback has a new home — at least for autographs.

Steiner Sports revealed on Tuesday that it has signed Super Bowl champion and two-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers to an exclusive deal for autographed memorabilia.

He joins a roster of new signees that includes the Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry and New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius and a football roster that previously included Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., Lou Holtz and Archie Manning among others.

Postseason Superstars: This week’s icons include Antonio Brown, Aaron Rodgers & more … and who’s next?

Five catches, 124 years and two touchdowns.

That’s the final line for Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown in Sunday’s 30-12 victory over the Miami Dolphins in their playoff-opening game. At this point, it’s the kind of showing that we expect from one of the league’s elite who had 106 catches for 1,284 yards and 12 TDs this season.

His 2010 Rookie Cards show him fresh out of Central Michigan and can be found in more than 20 brands that season, including Absolute Memorabilia, Bowman Sterling, Certified, Classics, Crown Royale, Donruss Elite, Epix, Exquisite Collection, Limited, Gridiron Gear, Plates & Patches, Threads, Contenders, National Treasures, Prestige, Rookies & Stars, SP Authentic, SPx, Score and Sweet Spot. You can expect to pay top dollar for anything of him that’s relatively rare and his auto RCs (Exquisite, Plates & Patches, Contenders, National Treasures, SPA and SPx) will be even more volatile and in-demand. It just comes with the territory.

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Keep reading for more guys who generated some buzz on the field this week.

Buzz Poll: Who wins Super Bowl LI?

We’re down to the last 12 NFL teams and that means we have just one question for the remainder of the football calendar.

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

>> Click here to shop for football boxes on BlowoutCards.com.

Vince Lombardi memorabilia to hit auction block via SCP in January

A number of treasures from the career of Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi will be hitting the auction block in January via SCP Auctions, which is handling the sale of the items for his family.

Among them are championship rings, a congratulatory telegram and other personal items all consigned by the late coach’s only son.

“It is truly an honor for SCP Auctions to put these items up for bid on behalf of the Lombardi Family,” said SCP President David Kohler.

Board Buzz: Must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (April 28)

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

What’s Buzzing Today: Big maildays, 2016 Bowman, 2016 Score & what’s an RC?

Former NFL player Daryn Colledge enlists in Army National Guard

A former Green Bay Packers lineman has opted to enlist in the Army National Guard, and, unlike many of his brothers on the offensive line, he has football cards for collectors to consider.

He’s Daryn Colledge, a 34-year-old, nine-year veteran of the league who was a member of the Super Bowl XLV-winning Packers. He started 137 games in his NFL career, also playing for the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.

“After all my time in the NFL, traveling, meeting and supporting the troops, I’ve decided to step up and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them,” he said on Twitter. “This was not a decision made lightly. We live in an ever-changing world and at this time in my life I feel it is best-served with me in defense of my family, state, country. With the support of my family [and] friends I look forward to the work and road ahead.”

Buzz Poll: How would you grade this autographed Brett Favre card?

“The Gunslinger” Brett Favre was among the players named to this year’s Hall of Fame class on Saturday night, meaning he’ll be forever enshrined in Canton later this year.

One card pulled in recent days by a collector is this 2015 Panini National Treasures College Notable Nicknames card — one of only a few cards showing him at Southern Mississippi that’s signed and one of even fewer that’s signed and inscribed. (And it’s pricey.)

Buzz thinks this is close to a perfect piece of cardboard and wonders what you think … grade this card.

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

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

Buzz List: Eight NFL players to watch this weekend

The NFL’s postseason kicks off with four games this weekend and it seems each of them have players to watch when it comes to collecting football cards.

Here’s one player from all eight teams Buzz says could be of interest — some obvious, some not.

J.J. Watt — The Houston Texans’ defensive dynamo and part-time tight end is basically a household name with his bloody noses and his Papa John’s commercials, but when it comes to autographed Rookie Cards he might be overvalued. He’s one of very few defensive stars to really get attention when it comes to cards, so it would take a monster game against the Chiefs to make those Contenders Rookie Cards even better buys. Sorry for the bad news there. (Maybe him being able to successfully complete a pizza curl in a follow-up Papa John’s commercial would help?)

Iconic Sports Illustrated covers can be quite collectable & sometimes quite valuable, too (gallery)

If you’ve watched any NFL games this season, you’ve likely heard the word “concussion” many times as the league has implemented new tests on players to help prevent future problems by assessing the here and now immediately following a hard hit.

On Christmas Day, a film about the issue of concussions in football called Concussion opens in theaters. You’ve probably seen the commercials for the film during NFL games.

Will Smith stars as Dr. Bennet Omalu, who discovered the degenerative brain disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. It’s a real-life issue that has affected more than 80 former players — many you’ve seen on football cards and might have collected. The movie is an important one and Sports Illustrated has Smith on its cover this week to discuss the movie.

Is it the first time a celebrity has appeared on the cover of the highly collectable sports magazine?

Buzz List: Five NFL players to watch in Week 14

Buzz-worthy or bust-worthy — those might be the labels thrown around this week depending on what Cleveland’s Johnny Bench Football does as starter for the Browns.

Johnny Manziel has probably been a disappointment to many considering where his cardboard ranked among his rookie peers last year but this week’s game could end up being a coming out party showing or one where the moralists and scouts say “I told you so” before they bail on his cardboard.

Love ’em or hate ’em, Manziel is one to watch against the San Francisco 49ers. Keep reading for four more …

Board Buzz: Five must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Nov. 24)

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.

Buzz List: Five NFL players to watch this week

The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely be without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Sunday when they take on the Cleveland Browns and that team’s likely QB is our pick for a prime player to watch on Sunday. He’s “Johnny Football,” Johnny Manziel, who completed 15 of 33 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown in a 31-10 loss on Nov. 5.

Could a decent game against an AFC rival be enough to spark interest — or at least some optimistic hype — in a guy who was an unquestioned top rookie on cardboard last year? And what about a good game? Buzz thinks that could re-ignite some serious interest.

Keep reading for four more guys to watch on Sunday.

Board Buzz: Five must-read threads on the Blowout Forums (Nov. 12)

The Blowout Cards Forums are where thousands of collectors converge daily to discuss, well, a little bit of everything. Here are five threads about collecting and more that you should check out right now.