2024 Optic Football is scheduled to release on April 30, 2024 for $880.
The release continues to be one of the final big opti-chrome drops of the NFL collecting calendar. With on-card autographs, a fantastic rookie lineup, and fan-favorite inserts like Downtown and My House!, Optic Football remains one of the top-tier mid-range products for modern collectors.
Shop for boxes of 2024 Optic Football on eBay
Ever since Donruss Optic Football first launched in 2016, it has solidified itself as a staple in the hobby, sitting comfortably alongside Prizm and Select in the chromium card hierarchy. Collectors love the Rated Rookies, the strong color-matched parallels, and the PSA-friendly holo cards.
And while Prizm often takes the spotlight, Optic offers a cleaner, more focused checklist, with a stronger emphasis on non-autograph hits like Rated Rookies Holos and rare Downtown inserts.
Optic rookies—especially Holo parallels—have consistently outperformed in terms of pop count and long-term value. For example, the PSA 10 population of top Holos is often 5–10x lower than their Silver Prizm counterparts. That’s a major win for savvy collectors.
Shop for boxes of 2024 Optic Football on eBay
This year’s product follows the familiar formula:
The $880 hobby box will include:
The 2024 rookie class is headlined by Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix, and so many more., which gives Optic a solid investment case.
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Returning favorites include Downtown inserts, My House!, Rookie Patch Autographs (RPAs) numbered to 25 or less, and Legendary Patch Autos featuring veterans.
New for 2024:
Like every 2024 Panini football product, there are a few caveats that come with 2024 Optic football.
On top of that, as I’ve mentioned in other 2024 product previews, many of the top 2024 draft picks are working exclusively with Fanatics on autographs: Caleb Williams, AD Mitchell, Malik Nabers, Brendan Rice, Jayden Daniels, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Rome Odunze, and Drake Maye, to name a few.
These athletes agreed to no more autos with Panini, but they could still have some in this set. (Rome Odunze seems to).
That said, this is the first set to release this year that doesn’t drive value almost entirely from autographs. Or, in other words, having rookie parallel potential means it has a bit higher floor. Still, though, it’s a set that falls flat without top rookie signers.
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What’s changing for Optic in 2024? Well, to put it succinctly, not much has changed.
If you cracked open a box of Optic football over the last few years, you’re essentially up to speed with what to expect, albeit with a slightly less enticing lineup of rookies in 2024.
Speaking of rookies, one of the standout features of the product is the abundance of on-card autographs. As is customary, Optic introduces new parallel colors this year, with Electricity (/65) and Jazz parallels adding to the mix.
On top of that, if you’re chasing after big-ticket items, keep your eyes peeled for the Downtown cards, which are already highly sought after and will now feature parallels from fairly common all the way down to the ultra-rare Gold Vinyl 1/1. And for those who adore parallels, here’s a glimpse at the Optic rainbow for 2024 football.
Love parallels? Here’s a look at the Optic rainbow for 2022 football, which will presumably be pretty close to the 2024 set (we’ll update after more information releases).
Shop for boxes of 2024 Optic Football on eBay
And of course, the coveted Downtown insert also returns—this year with parallels for the first time: Gold (/10) and Gold Vinyl (1/1).
In short, 2024 Optic is the same ol’ formula that collectors love with new rookies and just enough tweaking to keep it feeling fresh and interesting.
Is Optic worth the rip?
With hobby boxes pre-ordering around $880, Optic is still a high-end product, but much more approachable than products like National Treasures or Flawless. The benefit here is volume: 80 cards in a box gives you a better shot at finding something valuable than ripping an 8-card box for a similar price.
You also don’t have to rely on autographs. Rated Rookies Holos, color parallels, Downtowns, and case hits hold their value—even without ink.
Shop for boxes of 2024 Optic Football on eBay
If you’re investing in sealed boxes with the intent of holding them, here are some current resell numbers to consider for hobby boxes (as of 4/5/25).
Lesson? The rookie class matters. A lot. Years with deep or franchise-changing QBs—like Mahomes (2017) or Herbert/Burrow/Hurts (2020)—age extremely well. Mediocre classes like 2019 don’t hold up as strong.
With 2024, this class could be among the best in years, and if you’re a sealed wax investor, Optic 2024 is a pretty strong, but the lack of autographs makes it a tougher argument at $880.
Optic rookie cards are one of the blue-chip investments of modern Panini rookies – perhaps second to only Prizm. If you’re going to invest in just one card of anybody, Optic is a great way to go.
Your best bet of making a profit on this product is finding a few holos of players you believe in, buying them raw (after asking the seller for more pictures), then getting them graded.
If you can scoop up silvers (or holors, rather) of the rookies you like and grade, then you’ll be set for a long-term hold. Collectors go nuts for Optic PSA 10 parallels, especially if you can get cards in one of the two rarest tiers.
But caution: as with all new releases don’t buy the first Optic cards that appear on eBay for this year. The price will inevitably drop as the supply meets the demand.
Optic is my personal favorite brand, and it keeps getting even better year after year while still capturing the magic of what makes the product special. It’s a good potential investment that’s more affordable than Prizm while also staying rarer.
What do you think of this Optic? What will it be worth in 5 years? Let us know on X @card_lines.
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