Beckett Football – September 2026

Summary

Myles Garrett broke Michael Strahan's single-season sack record with 23 sacks in 2025, and the September 2026 Beckett Football (Vol. 39, No. 9, Issue 428, $12.99) leads with "Sacking the Hobby" — a feature tracking one collector's quest to assemble the complete 2017 Panini Prizm Myles Garrett rookie rainbow. The 23-card rainbow, including four 1/1 printing plates and the elusive Prizms Black Finite, is listed on eBay for $9,999.99, representing a 59-card reduction from Garrett's total certified print run of more than 5,900 cards.

Joel Reuter profiles Christian Okoye — "The Nigerian Nightmare" — tracing the former NFL rushing champion from his Nigerian roots through Azusa Pacific University, where he won nine NAIA throwing titles, to his 1988 Topps #363 rookie card valued at $50-75 in high grade. The NFL's 2026 season is underway, with Garrett now playing for the Los Angeles Rams after a June 1 trade from the Browns.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Feature

p.(n/p) · SACKING THE HOBBY — THE MYLES GARRETT RAINBOW QUEST
A collector's journey to assemble all 23 cards in the 2017 Panini Prizm #242 Myles Garrett rookie rainbow, including 14 Prizm parallels and four 1/1 printing plates. The eBay listing includes PSA-graded examples across Gem Mint and Mint levels, plus a signature authenticated by PSA/DNA 10. Rainbow hunters can use the checklist as a template for their own set-completion projects.

p.(n/p) · TRYING TO SACK THE 2017 PANINI PRIZM MYLES GARRETT RAINBOW
A complementary piece detailing the specific chase: which parallels are hardest to locate, why the Black Finite 1/1 remains the grail, and how the June 1 trade to the Rams affected pricing. A reference for collectors contemplating a similar rainbow pursuit.

▸ Player Profile

p.(n/p) · THE NIGERIAN NIGHTMARE — CHRISTIAN OKOYE
Joel Reuter profiles the 1989 NFL rushing champion who led the league with 1,480 yards and 370 carries. Okoye's 1988 Topps #363 RC is valued at $50-75 in high grade, while his 1991-1993 Wild Card 1000 Stripe parallels have print runs estimated at 50-150 copies each. A roadmap for collectors chasing 1980s-90s vintage that remains undervalued relative to contemporaries.

▸ Market Data

p.(n/p) · HIT PARADE
The monthly ranking of football's most actively traded cards, with September's movers reflecting the start of the 2026 season.

p.(n/p) · PRICE GUIDE
Complete Beckett Football pricing for September 2026.

▸ Regulars

p.(n/p) · EDITORIAL
Staff credits and contact information for the September issue.

p.(n/p) · DEALER SALES
Classified advertising from the hobby's leading dealers.

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Editor's Take

The Myles Garrett rainbow feature is the kind of collecting journalism Beckett does best — a specific chase with a defined financial stake, a checklist breakdown and a narrative hook (the $9,999.99 eBay listing). The Christian Okoye profile is a strong companion piece that shows how a pre-2000 player with a compelling backstory can still generate collector interest. Weaknesses: the rainbow article assumes familiarity with Panini Prizm parallel nomenclature that casual readers will not have. The Okoye price data is useful but the photography in the article does not show the key "1000 Stripe" parallels that are the set's real prize. This issue serves advanced rainbow hunters and vintage football collectors equally well.

Strengths
• Myles Garrett rainbow feature provides a complete chase template with financial stakes
• Christian Okoye profile surfaces an undervalued 1980s icon with concrete price data
• Seller's $9,999.99 ask price gives the rainbow quest a narrative anchor

Weaknesses
• Rainbow article assumes parallel-nomenclature knowledge that casual readers lack
• Okoye article lacks photography of the rare 1000 Stripe parallels

Verdict: Recommended — one of Beckett Football's strongest single-subject features of the year, paired with a well-researched vintage profile.