2022 Panini One Football: A Review Of A High Risk, Limited Reward Release

Looking for the ultimate roll of the dice? You’ll find that in Panini One 2022 football, the late-season release that notoriously has… wait for it… one card. 

This risky release drops on June 30th for $500/box. Is it worth the risk, or is it the most obvious stay-away of the year?

Panini One 2022 product introduction

If you invest in the stock market, you’ll know that experts will tell you to have a portfolio of stocks, not just go all-in on one. Even if it’s a fantastic single stock, it can still disappoint or fail to grow as fast as its peers.

Panini One should follow the same logic: why would you go all-in on a one-card box when there are lots of better options that mitigate risk? 

If you’re determined to get some Panini One exposure, here’s what you need to know: the card set has been around since 2018 and has always had one on-card autograph per box.

There are lots of rookie patch autograph options, but many of the autograph set lists are veteran-driven… or even Hall-of-Famer-driven. And with a very weak 2022 NFL draft class, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

What to expect from 2022 Panini One 

It’s hard to restate this in several ways: there’s one card per box. It’s going to be autographed, and not only that—it’ll also be on-card. 

But what autograph you pull can depend on from box to box. There are lots of different sets to choose from. Let’s check them out.

Debuts include Presenting, One Small Step and The Oneders, highlighting all-time greats.

If you’re hoping for more puns off the “One-ness of the product, you’re in luck. You can also pull One Man Show, which has a shadow box design, Formula One, which is a mix of veterans and rookies, and One Up autographs, which spans across decades of the NFL.

Looking for rookies?  The Premium Rookie Patch Autographs is an acetate design, while Square One Autographs display a quad-relic design with prime patches. 

Also, per Panini, “the main Rookie Patch Autographs (#/199 or less) set boasts custom embossed card stock to go along with the on-card autograph and large swatch.”

Parallels

Most of the parallels from each auto set look like this:

• Base Auto – #/99 or less
• Blue – #/75 or less
• Bronze – #/49 or less
• Red – #/25 or less
• Gold – #/10 or less
• Platinum – #/5 or less
• Gold Vinyl – 1/1

Some, however, are more short print. “One Man Show” has these parallels:

• Base Auto – #/49 or less
• Blue – #/35 or less
• Bronze – #/25 or less
• Red – #/15 or less
• Gold – #/10 or less
• Platinum – #/5 or less
• Black – 1/1

Investing in sealed Panini One Football

With Panini One poised to release at $499/box, are they worth that price? Let’s look at some recent sales numbers (as of 6/26/23)

• 2018 Hobby: $600
• 2019 Hobby: $450
• 2020 Hobby: $1400
• 2021 Hobby: $420

Let’s unpack those prices. For one, only two of the previous four years are selling for more than the release price of 2022 One football. More concerning, the 2022 rookie class is probably at the very bottom of the ladder when it comes to rookie class years. (2019 is also a weak class and I’m very out on Kyler Murray, but I’d still take him over any of the 2022 quarterbacks if I’m building a team tomorrow.)

I’m not sure I’d buy 2022 Panini One to hold at $300 – definitely not at $500.

Of course, buying the 2020 class would have paid off if you could have scooped it up for $500, but there’s no Burrow, Herbert or Justin Jefferson to be found in 2022.

Investing in singles

Typically, I say something like this: “Your best bet of making a profit on this product is finding a few low-numbered cards of players you believe in and buying them to hold.”

There’s a catch here. One cards, no matter how low-numbered they are, are never going to be the most desirable cards to buy. 

I’ve never been to a card show where I heard somebody say, “Do you have any Panini One cards?” It truly might be one of the most forgettable brands, so intentionally limited that it’s hard to collect or find in the wild. 

Sure, a Kenny Pickett RPA would still be a great card if you picked it up for the right price, but you’re going to be hard pressed to find a collector who wants a Panini One Pickett /49 over an Optic /49. Or Select. Or Prizm, Contenders, etc. 

So, with that in mind, I’d encourage you to take the money you’d put in Panini One and go elsewhere with it unless you get an amazing deal. It’s the safest bet you can make.

Bottom line of 2022 Panini One Football: Rip, hold or pass?

2022 Panini One is not a rip unless you truly have money to throw in the trash and light on fire. The only chance you get your money back is getting exceptionally lucky with a low-numbered auto, but there’s a good chance you end up pulling a Tony Romo /49 legendary auto card. …For $500.

It’s not a hold, either. It’s a product that ages very dependent on the rookie class, and 2022 isn’t a great one.

 If you’re thinking of investing in it, you’d be better off buying sealed products or singles of another brand.

And that leaves one option: the pass.

While the card designs look nice and there are some diamonds in the rough, Panini One is not a standout brand or a smart investment. 

What do you think of 2022 Panini One? Share your thoughts on Twitter @card_lines.