Joe Burrow is trading his usual gridiron poise for a gross-out cartoon glow-up. The Bengals quarterback is the only Cincinnati player featured on a new nine-card Garbage Pail Kids NFL checklist from Topps, and his card carries a fittingly goofy name: “Joe Cool.”
Topps shared a photo of its 1/1 version of the Joe Burrow card, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The hand-drawn artwork for the entire set was created by David Gross, the outlet reports, continuing the brand's long tradition of exaggerated, cartoonish takes on real-world figures — this time applied to some of the NFL's biggest names.
Burrow's inclusion marks a notable first for the decades-old novelty card brand. It's the first time Garbage Pail Kids characters have been part of an NFL release, per the same report, putting Cincinnati's franchise quarterback in the middle of a genuine trading-card milestone.
Who Else Made the Nine-Card Checklist
Burrow isn't the only marquee name getting the Garbage Pail Kids treatment. The checklist also includes Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II, and former NFL quarterback Tom Brady, according to the report.
Rounding out the nine-card set are New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, and Titans receiver Carnell Tate. Of that group, Burrow stands alone as the lone Bengal — a detail the Enquirer specifically flagged as notable for Cincinnati collectors.
Cards Land in a Redesigned Bowman Football Release
The Garbage Pail Kids cards are set to arrive Wednesday, when Topps releases them as part of its 2026 Bowman Football product, the Enquirer reports. It's a significant shift for the Bowman brand: according to a product listing from steelcitycollectibles.com, 2026 Bowman Football will be the first-ever version of the product to include officially licensed college football and NFL cards inside the same packs.
The listing describes the release as ushering in “a new era for the brand, combining collegiate prospects and NFL players in one product for the first time.” Collectors chasing a box will find eight packs of four cards each, per the same listing, with an average of one autograph per box.
Topps teased the release ahead of time in a social post that read, “FIRST LOOK: Garbage Pail Kids NFL trading cards arrive next week in Bowman Football!”
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Whether “Joe Cool” becomes a chase card for Bengals fans or just a curiosity for longtime Garbage Pail Kids collectors, the crossover puts Burrow in company with some of the league's most recognizable quarterbacks — all rendered in the brand's signature warped, satirical style.
