If Rob Gronkowski had to choose between purchasing a Tom Brady rookie card or Drake Maye rookie card, he wouldn’t choose his longtime former Patriots and Buccaneers teammate.
In a Q&A with The Athletic’s Larry Holder, the four-time Super Bowl champion revealed why he’d choose to spend his money on Maye’s card.
“It’s probably a lot cheaper. I can get it for cheaper because it’s a rookie card and he’s a young buck right now,” Gronkowski said. “And a Tom Brady rookie card, he has all the accolades already. You don’t know how Drake Maye’s career is going to project. It looks great, no doubt about it. It looks very on track to be very, very successful.”
Brady retired in 2023 after a 23-year career that included six Super Bowl titles — six with the Patriots — and a slew of records under his belt. He’s arguably the greatest quarterback of all time and is believed to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he’s eligible in 2028.
Maye, meanwhile, just wrapped up his sophomore season that included a Super Bowl 60 appearance. The 23-year-old put himself in Patriots history books throughout 2025 and took a huge leap from Year 1 to Year 2 that helped New England to a 4-13 record. The quarterback was also the MVP runner-up.
“Tom Brady’s already proven, so his rookie card is so expensive right now,” Gronkowski said. “I don’t think I could afford it. So I would have to get a Drake Maye card. Then it would just only go up in value if his career keeps projecting the way it’s supposed to. So that’s the reason — I’m looking at value and looking at price, so I’m gonna go with the Drake Maye rookie card.”
In 2021, a Brady rookie card sold for a record $1.32 million on PWCC Marketplace. According to ESPN, the card was a 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket card that was graded an eight and a 10 grading on the signature.