搶先看:2017 Contenders Optic Football

Ysponder

Leave it to Pittsburgh Steelers standout rookie JuJu Smith-Schuster to make an impact even during a bye week. Certainly the talented receiver put collectors on notice early last week with a seemingly innocuous post on his Instagram Story featuring something that looked an awfully lot like Contenders Optic Football. Astute collectors picked up on the image instantly. Considerable collecting buzz ensued. Surprise . . . Panini America is releasing 2017 Contenders Optic Football.

Much like its popular Donruss Optic predecessor, the all-new Contenders Optic creation aims to seamlessly meld two proud pieces of the Panini America product portfolio — Contenders Football and Prizm technology — into one shiny new release capable of standing on its own merit for years to come.

Set to arrive in hobby shops across North America late February, 2017 Contenders Optic Football will deliver, on average, two autographs (including one on-card), two base cards, one parallel and one insert in every six-card box (10 boxes per inner case, two inner cases per master case). As Smith-Schuster alluded to last week, the highlights of the new product are many and include . . .

• For the first time, find Contenders’ fabled RPS Rookie Ticket Autographs on Optichrome technology; look for one on-card RPS Rookie Ticket Autograph per box.

• Contenders Optic is loaded with inserts such as Hall of Fame Contenders, All-Pro Contenders, MVP Contenders and Round Numbers.

• Some of the most iconic Contenders Rookie Tickets of all time get recreated with Contenders Tribute Autographs, honoring the best cards made in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001.

• Optichrome technology revamps the always-popular Contenders brand. With Red, Blue, Gold and Gold Vinyl parallels (numbered to 199 or less), Contenders Optic is loaded with short-print chase cards.

• Rookie of the Year Contenders Autographs highlights the top rookies of the 2017 class, all numbered to 99 or less.

• Hall of Fame Contenders Autographs highlights those legendary players headed for Canton in the near future.

We’ll have plenty more on 2017 Contenders Optic Football in the coming weeks right here on The Knight’s Lance. But for now, check out this extended first look, including a glimpse at some of the first completed autographs.



  

Ysponder

No matter how long you’ve been collecting Panini America’s fabled Contenders Football franchise, you’ve never seen a Contenders quite like this. That’s because there’s never been a Contenders quite like this. From the moment Pittsburgh Steelers rookie receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster teased the existence of 2017 Contenders Optic Football in an early January Instagram Story, the buzz has been building. In two short days, the collecting world will get to see firsthand what all the buzz is about.


From its Prizm-powered foundation to its classic Contenders content, there’s a lot to like about the inaugural edition of Contenders Optic Football. On average, each six-card hobby box will deliver two autographs (including one on-card), and one parallel numbered to 199 or less. Longtime Contenders loyalists will appreciate the Contenders Tribute Autographs chase that features Optic recreations of some of the brand’s most iconic Rookie Cards.

  
You can take a crash course in 2017 Contenders Optic Football in the must-see Quality Control Gallery that follows. Enjoy the early look and stay tuned to The Knight’s Lance for continued coverage.