Autographs
Collecting unsung Super Bowl QBs
There’s been no shortage of Hall of Fame (or HOF-to-be) quarterbacks who have driven their teams to the Super Bowl. You know the big names, from Bart Starr, Johnny Unitas and Terry Bradshaw to Roger Staubach, Joe Montana and Troy Aikman, and from Brett Favre, John Elway and Tom Brady to Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers, among others.
But Super Bowl annals also have given us feel-good surprises—journeymen QBs or upstarts whose careers otherwise flattened out, but who will forever be associated with wins under football’s brightest spotlight.
In honor of unsung field generals who got it done in the NFL’s big game, here’s a look at Super Bowl–winning QBs we shouldn’t forget.
• Jim Plunkett, L.A. Raiders. Previously a washout with the Patriots, Plunkett carried both the 1980 and 1983 L.A. Raiders to the mountaintop. In the former (Super Bowl XV), they defeated Ron “Jaws” Jaworski and the Eagles, 27-10. In the latter (XVIII), they beat up Joe Theismann and the Washington Redskins, 38-9. Plunkett’s exploits, though, haven’t translated into hobby heat.
Today Plunkett’s rookie card, a 1972 Topps, can be had for sub-$400 prices, even in top condition. Two recent eBay sales saw PSA 9 examples sell for $389 and $350. Even a secondary-market autograph doesn’t push it beyond $400, per two signed examples that sold for $399 and $338 (both PSA 10s!).
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• Jim McMahon, Chicago Bears. This mercurial, brash quarterback brought the entertaining 1985 Bears to Super Bowl XX, where they demolished Tony Eason and the Patriots, 46-10. McMahon had an impressive career going until the following season, when he suffered a rotator cuff injury in his throwing shoulder. After that, he kicked around a bit (Chargers, Eagles, Vikings, Cardinals and, ironically, the Packers, with whom he won a second Super Bowl ring as Favre’s backup). He finished his career with 100 TD passes and 90 interceptions—and a 67-30 record as a starter.
The McMahon card you want is his 1983 Topps rookie, and you can get it in eBay auctions at bargain prices.
Recent examples sold for prices of $79 (PSA 9), $70 (PSA 9) and $66 (SGC 9.5). Examples with secondary-market sigs are in the same ballpark. A BGS 10-grade example recently sold for only $77 (after 28 bids!). Another 10-grade example (per BGS) got away for $42.
• Jeff Hostetler, New York Giants. It was the Super Bowl that broke the hearts of Buffalo Bills fans: the Giants’ narrow 20-19 escape after Scott Norwood’s unfortunate “wide right” field goal attempt in the closing moments. That game is Hostetler’s obvious career highlight of his 12-year career. His passing stats were on the pedestrian side (a 58% completion percentage, 94 TD passes vs. 71 interceptions). But the man could win: He had a 51-32 record as a starter and that unforgettable Super Bowl XXV triumph in January 1991.
In the hobby, Hostetler is a “minor star” at best, but sells more like a common. His rookie card, a 1990 Fleer, can be had in eBay auctions for crazy-low prices. Recent examples saw $35 and $23 paid for Gem-Mint PSA 10 specimens.
• Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins. A year after Super Bowl XXV, the Bills felt heartbreak again—this time at the hands of Rypien and the Redskins, who orchestrated a 37-24 win. Rypien, like Hostetler, was a QB who knew how to win—he had a 47-31 record as a starter in 11 seasons. His passing stats were similar: a 56.1 completion percentage, 115 TD passes, 88 interceptions. But his Super Bowl win puts him in elite company.
Again, there’s no great demand in the hobby. Rypien’s rookie card of choice, a 1989 Topps, sold in a recent eBay sale for $100—with autograph and a PSA 9 grade.
Multiple unsigned Rypien Topps rookies went for sub-$30 prices in recent months. His 1989 Score card is similar; one PSA 10 example got away for $31 on 20 bids.
Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens. A classic game manager, Dilfer used his directorial skills to get Baltimore to the NFL’s top seat to culminate the 2000 season. It was his only season with the Ravens. Previously, he spent six quiet seasons (1994–99) with Tampa Bay, and later, he put in four seasons with Cleveland and one in Seattle.
All told, Dilfer barely had a .500 record as a starter (58-55) while completing 55.5% of his passes and throwing more INTs (129) than TDs (113). But like our other selections here, Dilfer came up big in the NFL’s biggest game, leading the Ravens to a convincing 34-7 win over the Giants in January 2001.
Dilfer had multiple rookie cards in 1994 from Fleer, Pacific, Pinnacle, Score, Topps, Upper Deck. Any can be had for under $10. Insert cards sometimes (but not always) can go higher. Example: A 1994 Upper Deck SP Premier Prospects recently sold for $179 in a Buy It Now deal.
Our monthly Online Auctioneer Top 10 charts feature several other Super Bowl QBs—all with much greater NFL accolades. Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford and Peyton Manning all make appearances.
TOP 10
1. $63,100 on 107 bids: 2018 Bowman Chrome Shohei Ohtani Blue Refractor, #142/150, auto (BGS 9.5, auto 10)
2. $55,655 on 60 bids: 2025 Topps Dynasty Formula 1 Lew Hamilton, #5/5, auto (inscribed “Forza Ferrari”) with embedded zipper (ungraded)
3. $54,449 on 57 bids: 2009 Topps Chrome Matthew Stafford Refractor, #1/1, auto (ungraded)
4. $52,600 on 62 bids: 2018 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions Shohei Ohtani Goudey Sport Royalty, auto (BGS 9, auto 10)
5. $48,900 on 84 bids: 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan (PSA 6)
6. $48,600 on 67 bids: 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Rookie Ticket, auto (BGS 9, auto 10)
7. $45,100 on 70 bids: 2025-26 Topps Chrome Victor Wembanyama Geometric White Refractor, #1/2, auto (ungraded)
8. $41,454 on 86 bids: 2025-26 Topps Chrome Kon Knueppel Geometrick White Refractor, #1/2, auto (ungraded)
9. $40,100 on 46 bids: 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection LeBron James, #28/250, auto (BGS 9;5, auto 10)
10. $39.488 on 106 bids: 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Refractor (BGS 9)
NEXT 10
Here’s a look at the next 10 items beyond our Top 10 list:
• $37,519 on 44 bids: 2003-04 Topps Chrome LeBron James (PSA 10)
• $36,950 on 29 bids: 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Rookie Ticket, auto (PSA 8)
• $36,217 on 29 bids: 2024-25 Upper Deck The Cup Macklin Celebrini Monumental Patch Booklet, #6/6, auto (ungraded)
• $35,855 on 86 bids: 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Refractor (PSA 8)
• $31,544 on 64 bids: 1984-85 Star Michael Jordan (BGS 8.5)
• $31,322 on 43 bids: 2016 Bowman Chrome Juan Soto Orange Refractor, #2/25, auto (BGS 9.5/10)
• $31,211 on 94 bids: 2016 Panini Classic Clashes, Peyton Manning/Tom Brady Dual Inscription, autos (PSA 9, autos 10)
• $31,000 on 60 bids: 2018-19 Panini Kobe Bryant Kaboom!, #10/10 (ungraded)
• $30,700 on 73 bids: 2009-10 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Stephen Curry Rookie Autograph, #8/30, auto (PSA authenticated, auto 10)
• $30,600 on 49 bids: 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan (PSA 9)
Among the offerings here, we especially love that rare Manning/Brady autographed card. The two QB legends show humor, mutual respect and camaraderie in their inscriptions. Brady wrote, “You win some, you lose some.” Manning responded with “I agree!”
