Patrick Mahomes is so beloved, even a piece of cardboard with his imagery on it just fetched nearly a quarter of a million dollars at auction!!
TMZ Sports has learned ... a super rare rookie card of the Kansas City Chiefs superstar hit the Goldin block back in mid-June -- and when the final gavel came down last week, it went for a whopping $173,000.
While it's a huge figure ... it could someday be worth far more -- considering how amazing the card is.
The signed piece -- which included a patch of one of the quarterback's jerseys -- is one of only 10 made ... and featured a grade of a nearly perfect 9, with an autograph score of a pristine 10.
The guys at Goldin raved about it while it was going up for sale ... calling it "quite simply, the most iconic NFL rookie card ever produced by Panini."
"Mahomes is one of those players that only comes around every decade or so," Goldin CEO Ken Goldin added. "He's on track to pass Tom Brady's seemingly untouchable Super Bowl record and that has really impacted the interest of his cards from both new and longtime collectors."
"Mahomes has inspired a whole new generation of football collectors who are deeply passionate about the hobby. Earlier this year, we saw the most expensive Mahomes jersey ever sold at Goldin and we expect his items to continue to drive interest if he continues at this pace."
No word on who the buyer is ... but one thing's clear, they've got some deep pockets -- and some killer investment strategies!!