2026 Topps Chrome Football Review: First Look at the SSP Lineup
The biggest football release of the year is up for pre-order. This is my first look based on the official Topps checklist. Odds and parallels are not out yet, so the full review with grades follows at release, right here on this page.
First Look Verdict
Topps Chrome is the most important football product of the year, and I am hyped for it. I will be honest about two things though. First, the price. At the EQL drop a Hobby box costs 455 EUR and a Jumbo box 815 EUR. Last year EQL listed the Hobby box at $349.99 and the Jumbo at $649.99. Different currency, same story: the jump is hard to believe, and it changes who this product is for. Second, the design. From what I have seen so far, I do not love it yet. That can change once the cards are in hand, but it is not the reason to buy this year.
The reason to buy is the SSP lineup. Super Bowl at Night is the standout for me, I loved that SSP in baseball, and Glass Canvas is great to have this year. The flip side: more SSPs, and less Jayden Daniels than I would like. As a Washington guy I take that personally, and I know nobody else will.
Product at a Glance
| Format | Where in Europe | 2026 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby Box | EQL, also as Hobby Case | 455 EUR | $349.99 |
| Jumbo Box | EQL | 815 EUR | $649.99 |
| Mega Box | Topps.com | 80 EUR | $69.99 |
| Value Box | Topps.com | 45 EUR | $39.99 |
| Hanger Box | Topps.com | 25 EUR | $19.99 |
2025 prices as listed in US dollars, 2026 prices in euros at the drop. Pre-orders opened on October 19. Pack counts and autographs per box follow with the odds sheet, and we add them here when Topps publishes it.
Joe Burrow #57 / Davante Adams #177, base Refractors
The Checklist in Numbers
400 base cards, 300 veterans and 100 rookies. The rookie class is led by Fernando Mendoza (Raiders), Jeremiyah Love (Cardinals), Carnell Tate (Titans), Jordyn Tyson (Saints), Caleb Downs (Cowboys) and Ty Simpson (Rams). Mendoza is the most present player on the whole checklist with 26 cards, ahead of Josh Allen with 23.
The full base set also comes as Lightboard Logo and Team Camo variations. On top come Image, Etch and Award Winners variations, 29 insert sets with 545 cards, 13 autograph sets with 394 cards, Gold Shield autographs and relics, and 93 Fanatics Authentics redemptions. 2,382 entries in total, all searchable in our 2026 Topps Chrome Football Checklist.
Design: First Impression
No grades yet. Grading a design from promo images is guesswork, and I want the cards in hand first. My first impression of the base design is lukewarm. The insert designs are where this product lives, and that is where the grades will matter at release. One I am curious about: the Lightboard Logo variation. If it follows the baseball design, I will be very happy.
SSP Matrix
Topps does not label short prints on the checklist and the odds sheet is not out yet. This is how we file them until the odds confirm it.
| Set | Cards | Format | Rookies in the set |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Bowl at Night | 15 | Hobby | None, it is the Super Bowl LX matchup: Seahawks and Patriots only |
| Kaiju | 10 | Hobby | Mendoza, Love, Tate |
| Helix | 15 | Hobby | Love, Simpson, Tyson, Lemon, Tate |
| Shadow Etch | 15 | Hobby | Love, Mendoza, Tyson |
| Tecmo | 17 | Hobby | None, legends and current stars |
| Ultra Violet | 20 | Hobby | Mendoza, Simpson, Love, Lemon, Tate |
| Lightning Leaders | 20 | Hobby | None |
| Chrome Radiating Rookies | 20 | Hobby | All 20 |
| Game Genies | 25 | Hobby | Love, Mendoza, Simpson, Tyson, Lemon, Tate |
| Glass Canvas | 25 | Hobby | Beck, Mendoza, Tyson, Tate |
| Gridlock | 25 | Hobby | Love, Mendoza, Tate |
| Lightboard Logo Variation | 400 | Retail | All 100 rookies |
| Fanatical | 25 | Retail | None |
And then three cards that made me smile when I went through the checklist. The Lombardi Trophy Superfractor (LT-1, Seattle Seahawks). The MVP Buyback of Matthew Stafford, #174, an original card bought back by Topps and the only entry of its kind on the checklist. And the Madden 99 Club with six players: Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Ja'Marr Chase, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Trey McBride and Myles Garrett.
Sean Taylor in Ultra Violet is the one I personally want. Jayden Daniels gets Lightning Leaders in hobby and Fanatical in retail, and no hobby case hit beyond that.
Break Hit Table
Based on the checklist, legends with former franchise names counted to today's team. Hobby SSPs include Lombardi Trophy, MVP Buyback and Madden 99 Club. Autos without the Fanatics redemptions.
| Team | Hobby SSPs | Autos | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 17 | 11 | Super Bowl at Night, Lombardi Trophy, Smith-Njigba everywhere |
| Los Angeles Rams | 16 | 16 | Stafford incl. MVP Buyback, Garrett, Simpson, Nacua |
| New England Patriots | 14 | 11 | Super Bowl at Night, Drake Maye in six SSP sets |
| Dallas Cowboys | 11 | 17 | Prescott, Lamb, Downs, Aikman |
| San Francisco 49ers | 10 | 17 | Purdy, McCaffrey, Kittle, Rice |
| Cleveland Browns | 5 | 18 | Most autos on the checklist |
At the other end: Atlanta has one hobby SSP card on the whole checklist, Indianapolis two, Houston and Miami three each. Keep that in mind when you price a team spot.
Format Exclusives
Retail gets its own chase this year: the Lightboard Logo variations of the full base set and Fanatical are filed as Retail SSP, and the 43 Retail Rookie Autographs are retail by name. Hobby gets all other SSPs. Format exclusive parallels follow with the odds sheet.
Autographs
Jeremiyah Love Rookie Variation Auto Red Refractor / Jaxon Smith-Njigba Base Variation Auto Green Refractor
| Set | Cards |
|---|---|
| Rookie Variation Autographs | 92 |
| Base Variation Autographs | 79 |
| Chrome Legends Autographs | 48 |
| Retail Rookie Autographs | 43 |
| Hall of Chrome Autographs | 25 |
| Chromographs | 24 |
| 1991 Topps Football Autographs | 22 |
| Future Stars Autographs | 18 |
| Dual Autographs | 15 |
| Tecmo Autographs | 13 |
| Class of 26 Autographs | 5 |
| Ring of Honor Autographs | 5 |
| NFL Honors Gold Shield Autographs | 5 |
Brock Purdy Base Variation Auto Red Refractor / Justin Jefferson Base Variation Auto Purple Refractor
The rookie autos in this product are variation autos, 92 cards, the Love on the left is one of them. Topps advertises Signature Short Prints, and the variation autos are where we expect them. The Dual Autographs pair rookies like Mendoza and Simpson or Tate and Tyson with veteran duos like Burrow and Chase or Purdy and Steve Young. Whether the autos are on-card or sticker, Topps has not said yet. We check that on the first pulls.
What We Do Not Know Yet
- Odds for every format, and with that the confirmation of the SSP matrix above
- Pack configuration and autographs per box for Hobby and Jumbo
- The parallel rainbow and print runs
- On-card or sticker for each auto set
Who Should Buy
- Case hit chasers: this is your product. Eleven SSP sets plus the three special cards, and almost all of it is Hobby.
- Rookie collectors: at 455 EUR per Hobby box, buying the singles of your player after release is the more honest math for most of us.
- Team collectors: a team spot in a case break is the cheapest way in. Check the break hit table first, the gap between Seattle and Atlanta is huge.
- Retail buyers: Value, Hanger and Mega have their own chase with Lightboard Logo and Fanatical, from 25 EUR for a Hanger to 80 EUR for a Mega. Mega and Value went up much less than Hobby, so retail is the fair way in this year.
- Jumbo: 815 EUR is a lot. Wait for the odds before you commit to that.
Buy the card because you want it, not because everyone else does.