The NFL Is Bringing Back Topps — and It Couldn't Come at a More Significant Moment

The NFL, Fanatics Collectibles, and the NFL Players Association announced Thursday, April 2 that Topps is returning as the league's exclusive trading card licensee — the first time since 2016 that the iconic brand will be designing and developing NFL cards. For casual fans, it's a nostalgia play. For serious collectors, it's a seismic shift.

The timing is no accident. Panini America, which has held the exclusive NFL license since 2016, is losing it — the result of a broader industry takeover by Fanatics...