A holy-grail HOFer! Fewer than five autograph exemplars have ever reached the auction block, with one record-breaker selling for nearly $40,000 in 2015. The little-known Chicago Cardinals owner played an outsized role in the NFL's survival during WWII, keeping his franchise alive by briefly merging with the Steelers, and later signing Charley Trippi to an unprecedented $100,000 contract before the upstart AAFC could snatch him up. The Cardinals soon capitalized on that acquisition with a 1947 NFL title. But sadly, Bidwell had died 8 months before the team tasted championship glory. Hence the rarity of his signature—not to mention that Bidwell's looming legacy was often overlooked in a Chicago market dominated by the Bears. Here, the Class of 1967 inductee scripted his fountain-pen "8-9" signature, "Chas. Bidwell," on a cross-hatched scorecard cut in EX-MT condition. Measures 3/4" x 3" and is adhered to a larger cut spanning 4-3/4" x 1-1/4", which itself has been mounted on a 4x6 black backing card. Full LOA from JSA.