When it comes to collecting sports cards, football tends to take a back seat to baseball, basketball and other sports. However, NFL football cards have a long and interesting history with some truly valuable and sought-after pieces in the hobby. With the rise of modern players like Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady achieving mainstream popularity beyond just football fans, interest in NFL cards has grown considerably in recent years.
Some of the most coveted and expensive NFL cards ever produced date back to the early days of the league in the 1930s and 1940s. One of the rarest and most valuable is the 1933 Goudey Johnny Blood McNally card, featuring Green Bay Packers running back Johnny Blood McNally. Only a handful are known to exist today in pristine condition. One mint condition example sold at auction in 2016 for an astonishing $396,000, setting a new record.
Another iconic early NFL card is the 1948 Leaf Football Fred Williamson rookie card. Williamson was a star halfback for the Philadelphia Eagles and one of the first African American players in the modern NFL. The 1948 Leaf set was one of the first true football card releases and Williamson’s rookie is among the key vintage chase cards for collectors. Graded examples in gem mint (GM) condition have sold for over $100,000.
Moving into the 1950s, high-grade examples of stars from the post-World War 2 era like Otto Graham, Y.A. Tittle, and Johnny Unitas continue to gain value as some of the rarest pre-1960s NFL cards. Unitas’ rookie from the 1957 Topps set sells for thousands in top condition due to his legendary Hall of Fame career. Top graded examples recently hit six-figure prices.
The 1960s saw the NFL explode in popularity alongside the rise of televised games and Super Bowl era. Icons like Joe Namath, Bart Starr, and Jim Brown achieved superstardom beyond just their on-field performances. Their rookie cards from the 1960s are highly sought after, especially Namath’s 1965 Topps rookie which has sold for over $400,000 in pristine condition.
The 1970s produced some of the most iconic NFL card designs and sets. The 1971 Topps and 1972 Topps are considered “design classics” with photo cutouts and a colorful grid layout. High-grade rookie cards of Hall of Famers like Roger Staubach, Franco Harris, and Walter Payton can sell for thousands. The 1979 Topps set featured a memorable airbrushed design and rookie cards of Dan Fouts, Kellen Winslow, and Billy Sims that remain popular.
In the 1980s, the NFL license was produced under Fleer and Topps brands. The 1981 Fleer set introduced the modern “traded” card design still used today. Rookies of Lawrence Taylor, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice from this era are highly sought after longterm investments. The 1986 Topps set is also notable for featuring rookie cards of future stars like Jim Everett, Jerry Rice, and Bo Jackson in his iconic “running up the outfield wall” pose for the Kansas City Royals.
The 1990s saw NFL cards truly explode in popularity alongside the rise of fantasy football. Iconic rookie cards were produced of stars like Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Deion Sanders and others who came to define the decade. The ultra-rare 1991 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card introduced the brand that would come to dominate the industry. High-grade rookie cards from the 1990s can sell for thousands due to the players’ legendary careers and the surge of collectors at the time.
In the 2000s and 2010s, modern stars like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes have had their rookie cards chase by collectors new and old. Brady’s 2000 Playoff Contenders Championship Rookie Auto Patch card recently sold for a record $2.25 million, showing how certain contemporary NFL cards can achieve astronomical prices. Young stars like Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert are among the new players collectors are targeting rookie cards of for longterm potential.
As the NFL’s popularity has grown globally, its cards have followed suit into an enormous worldwide hobby. While vintage pieces from the early days remain some of the rarest and most expensive, modern rookie cards of all-time greats continue to gain value as those players cement their legacies. With each new rookie class, collectors hope to uncover the next Brady or Mahomes before the rest of the world realizes their greatness. Top NFL cards offer a unique intersection of sports, history, entertainment and collectibles that ensures the hobby will remain a fixture for years to come.
