Tetairoa McMillan Caught 14 Passes. His Rookie Card Didn't Budge.

Collectors bought his cards three times as fast after his 14-catch game against the Lions. His Optic Uptown rookie still sells raw for around $177.

Original source: abcnews.com

FootballOct 18

Tetairoa McMillan caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns on Oct. 4, when the Panthers beat the Lions 32-26 on Sunday night. Both totals were career highs. The 14 catches left him one short of the franchise record of 15 that Christian McCaffrey set.

Collectors noticed. Sales of all his cards tripled, from 944 in the week before the game to 2,844 in the week after. They fell back to 1,389 in the week through Oct. 17.

The prices didn't follow. His 2025 Donruss Optic Uptown rookie, an insert sellers list as a case hit, sold raw nine times in the week before the game at around $180. In the 13 days after it, 31 raw copies sold at around $177. The latest went for $185 on eBay on Oct. 16.

Dot chart of every raw sale of the 2025 Donruss Optic Uptown No. 20 Tetairoa McMillan since Sept. 1, around $180 before his Oct. 4 game and $177 after

Every raw sale of McMillan's Optic Uptown rookie since Sept. 1

The card had already found its price. Through the first four weeks of September, 48 raw copies sold at around $180. The game sent more buyers to that same number rather than a higher one. The only hint of a bump is in PSA 10, where one copy sold for $475 on Sept. 26 and another for $550 on Oct. 12.

For a buyer, that means there's no game premium to wait out. Raw copies have sold for $138 to $212 since the game. We'd bid near $170. The Panthers come off their bye at Philadelphia on Oct. 18.