SUPER SEVEN: These NFL legends are football’s most collectible Super Bowl quarterbacks

With all due respect to the Super Bowl heroics of touchdown-scoring running backs, acrobatic receivers, brick-wall offensive linemen and big-play defenders, it’s always been the quarterback who steals the show.

The first two Super Bowls — played in 1967 and 1968 — produced an MVP QB in Green Bay’s Bart Starr. The Hall of Famer led Vince Lombardi’s Packers to blowout wins over Kansas City and Oakland in 1967 and 1968. Significantly, Starr also won three earlier NFL titles, giving him five championships in a remarkable seven-year span.

ANOTHER SUPER SEVEN: More collectible Super Bowl quarterbacks 

Super Bowl III, in January 1969, found Joe Namath dissecting the heavily favored Colts. Leading up to the game, Namath guaranteed his New York Jets would upset Baltimore. When he delivered, he helped boost the Super Bowl to new heights.

Since then, the NFL’s big game has become an iconic part of America’s landscape. In the process, the Super Bowl has delivered a run of strong-armed quarterbacks leading their teams to the top of the NFL mountain.

The memorabilia market, of course, followed along. In some cases, winning QBs have been unsung heroes, journeymen who rose to the occasion. Think Jim Plunkett, Doug Williams, Trent Dilfer and Brad Johnson.

But more often, we’ve seen the game’s top signal-callers — future Hall of Famers and big-name All-Pros — rise to the moment. They have included Len Dawson and Bob Griese, John Elway and Steve Young, Brett Favre and Kurt Warner, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger.

But it gets even better. Check out the group we’ll call our Super Seven. These Super Bowl-winning QBs will forever fly high in terms of hobby headlines and memorabilia demand. We present them not in order of stats or number of Super Bowls won, but in terms of standing in the hobby. And even that is open to discussion.

His seven Super Bowl titles leave no room for debate as to who should lead on our list. Brady had an unbelievable 7-3 record (with five MVP awards) in Super Bowl competition. Winning was just a habit for him: He posted a 251-82 regular-season record as a starter and won three regular-season MVPs. He retired after the 2022 season as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing attempts (12,050), completions (7,753), touchdown passes (649) and yards (89,214).

Owens: Remembering Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw and great Super Bowl QBs of the 1970s 

As Brady’s accolades piled up over 23 seasons, he soared to the hobby’s upper echelon. You’ll find thousands of Brady cards out there, and — surprise! — you can build an interesting collection at sub-$50 prices. That includes some of his 40-plus rookie cards. For example, look for his 2000 Pacific base set, Aurora or Crown Royale cards, his 2000 Fleer Ultra 23k Gold rookie, his 2000 Press Pass card, his 2000 Fleer Skybox “Rookie Pairs” card (with Gianni Aarmazzi of the 49ers) or his 2000 Fleer Tradition “Rookies to Watch” card (with teammate Dave Stachelski). We’ve seen examples of those sell for prices between $20 and $50.

But if you want one of his high-end rookie cards, you’ll pay. The most celebrated: his 2000 signed Playoff Contenders Rookie Ticket. It captures the young QB in a game-action shot, poised to throw a pass downfield. The autograph along the bottom makes this card a highly desirable piece.

A “Championship” Rookie Ticket variation of that card in grade-9 condition sold for $3.1 million at Leland’s in 2021. Other examples have also brought seven-figure sums, including $1.4 million for a grade-8 Championship Ticket in 2022 and $1.2 million for a grade-9 in 2023.

Other Brady rookies that stir the hobby include his Bowman Chrome, Fleer Metal, Skybox Impact and Upper Deck. Here’s a look at sample selling prices from the past two years:

• $498,000 for a 2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor graded PSA 10. It sold at Goldin Auctions in 2023.

• $288,000 for a 2000 Bowman Chrome Gold marked #12/99 and graded 9. (Heritage, 2021)

Also See: Tom Brady Bowman Baseball Superfractors selling for big dollars

• $210,000 for a 2000 signed Upper Deck SP Authentic graded PSA 10 and marked 1054/1250. (Goldin, 2023).

• $194,400 for a 2000 UD SPx Spectrum graded PSA 10 and marked #20/25. (Goldin, 2022).

Even though Brady has ridden off into the sunset, his place in the hobby is secure. Don’t look for much softening of value in his high-end items.

Starr was the ultimate field general, a tactician who masterfully carried out Coach Vince Lombardi’s game plan. He had a 94-57-6 record as a starting QB in his 16 seasons and, as noted above, led Green Bay to five NFL championships, including the first two Super Bowls. Besides his two Super Bowl MVP awards, he also won the NFL’s 1966 MVP.

Also See: A tribute to Hall of Famer Bart Starr 

Playing for the original “America’s Team” (and later serving as head coach), Starr became a beloved figure. He had a sterling reputation as a role model and inspirational leader. It played well in the hobby then and now, which is why Starr memorabilia has always had takers.

Topps’ 1957 set featured Starr’s rookie card, a horizontal design with equal-sized colorized photographs — one a head shot, the other a passing pose that has him wearing No. 42. The reverse notes that his first year in the NFL included limited playing time (only 44 pass attempts) but also touted his quickly developing passing accuracy and “field generalship.”

Also See: Packer fan Glen Christensen owns hobby's largest Packers memorabilia collection 

Starr’s rookie is a condition-sensitive piece. Higher-grade examples usually mean 7- or 8-grade specimens, although 9s do come up. Selling prices in recent years include widely varying prices: from $288,000 for a PSA 9 at Heritage (2017) to $99,000 for an SGC 9 at Heritage (2021).

Budget-conscious collectors can drop their sights to a 7 and snag a 1957 Starr card for far lower prices. Examples: At Goldin Auctions in 2023, three different Starr rookies graded PSA 7 sold for prices of $3,304, $3,300 and $2,520. Grades of 4 and lower have been selling for less than $1,000.

Montana was the Larry Bird of football — perhaps not the most impressive physical specimen, but a winner who had an uncanny knack for thinking one step ahead of his opponents and making the right play at the perfect time. The former Notre Dame star used that guile and precise passing to win three regular-season MVP awards, amassing a 117-47 career record along the way. He threw 273 TD passes and amassed 40,551 yards.

Montana earned the nickname “Joe Cool” for the way he coldly picked apart defenses en route to four Super Bowls. He still holds the highest passer rating (127.8) in Super Bowl history among quarterbacks with at least 40 pass attempts. He threw 122 Super Bowl passes without an interception — also a record. And he took home the Super Bowl MVP award three times.

Also See: Joe Montana talks collecting, Super Bowl victories 

Montana’s success made him a highly desirable subject for football card collectors. His rookie appeared in Topps’ 1981 set, a good-looking card featuring Montana, in his familiar No. 16, tossing a warm-up throw before a game.

The value of a Gem-Mint-10 Montana rookie card gets a little fuzzier when you consider a run of auctions at Goldin in 2022 and 2023. In multiple different sales, PSA 10-grade specimens brought prices between $103,200 (March 2022) and $47,400 (July 2023). And between 2021 and 2023, PSA 10-graded Montana rookies sold at Heritage for prices of $69,000, $46,200 and $45,600.

Drop to a 9.5 grade and the price, per multiple auctions, dips below $10,000. If you’re hoping to add a Montana rookie at a friendlier price, it can be done. We’ve seen examples graded 7 and even 8 sell for prices between $150 and $350 in recent auctions.

Mahomes is a work in progress — the leader of a quality football team that’s always in the playoff conversation, as it proved again this season. The son of former Minnesota Twins pitcher Pat Mahomes has already played in three Super Bowls and won two, earning the MVP award in both wins. He will play in his fourth in five years on Feb. 11 against the San Francisco 49ers. 

Also See: Patrick Mahomes, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson rookie cards on the rise

At age 28, Mahomes may have eight or nine (or more) productive seasons ahead of him. So check back with us in 10 years; we may yet slide Mahomes closer to Brady’s top slot.

Even at this mid-career stage, Mahomes is an accomplished QB. His won-lost record as a starter is 74-22, and he’s thrown for 219 TDs and 28,424 yards, winning two NFL regular-season MVP awards. He’s done it all during the hobby’s most explosive growth period ever. As such, Mahomes rookie cards — there are many — attract astonishing prices, especially if they bear autographs and/or jersey patches cards.

Here’s a list of five Mahomes rookies preceded by the jaw-dropping prices they commanded:

• $4.3 million for a 2017 Panini National Treasures Platinum 1-of-1 autographed patch card. The patch is part of the enticement: It’s an NFL shield. Graded BGS 8.5, this treasure sold for a football record price at PWCC in 2021.

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• $1.08 million for a 2017 Panini National Treasures Holo Gold signed patch card. Marked #3/10, it also sold at PWCC.

• $720,000 for a 2017 Panini National Treasures “Stars and Stripes” autographed patch card. It was marked #13/13 and graded PSA 10. Another one marked #6/13 and graded BGS 9.5 went for $288,000. Both sales were at Goldin Auctions in 2022.

• $630,000 for a 2017 Panini National Treasures Black signed patch card marked #3/5. Graded BGS 9, it sold at PWCC in 2021. A year later, a 1/1 variation of the card brought the same price.

• $570,000 for a 2017 Panini Prizm Gold Vinyl Prizm marked #4/5. Graded PSA 10, it sold at Goldin in 2022.

If those prices make you dizzy, fear not. Just put aside any lottery-ticket hopes and start a collection of base-set Mahomes rookies. We’ve seen appealing examples of 8- or 9-grade first-year Mahomes rookie cards sell for less than $50. They come without the frills of autographs or patches, but they’re Mahomes rookies nonetheless. Examples, all from 2017 Panini brands: Donruss Rated Rookie, Elite Draft Picks, Contender Game Day Ticket, Prestige, and Score.

The dynasty Steelers of the 1970s had that perfect blend of a steel-curtain defense (as their nickname trumpeted) and an offense that could score by ground or by air. Bradshaw was the catalyst, using all of his tools — Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier, Lynn Swann, John Stallworth — to march his team to win after win.

Also See: Terry Bradshaw rookie card hikes value of 1971 Topps set 

Blessed with a cannon arm and athleticism, Bradshaw was a playmaker with a unique ability to escape trouble. His Steelers won four Super Bowls, with two Super Bowl MVP awards going to the QB. In regular-season play, Bradshaw compiled a 107-51 record as a starter with 212 TD passes and 27,989 yards. He also ran for 2,257 yards and 32 more TDs.

Bradshaw’s rookie card appeared in Topps’ 1972 set. The design employed a bright red border for Bradshaw and all AFC players (NFC player cards had blue borders). The photograph is a close-up head shot emphasizing the young QB’s distinctive chin dimple and blond hair.

On the reverse, Topps describes Bradshaw’s ascension from third-string QB (behind Terry Hanratty and Kent Nix) to starting QB during Pittsburgh’s 1970 preseason games. And a classic Topps cartoon reveals that Bradshaw set a national javelin record in high school. Later, he would describe in interviews how javelin-throwing influenced his grip on a football.

Despite his four Super Bowl rings, Bradshaw’s rookie is undervalued. In fact, Near-Mint, 9-grade examples have been selling for inexplicably low prices. PWCC did sell a PSA 9 specimen for $43,200 in 2022, but in 2023 at Goldin Auctions, we saw Bradshaw rookies graded BVG 9 sell for prices of $7,206 and $6,626. Further reflecting the undervaluing of Bradshaw, a BVG 8 got away for only $915 and a PSA 8 for only $786.

Considering Bradshaw’s quartet of Super Bowl wins during a Hall of Fame career, it’s not a bad idea to stash his rookie card.

The second generation of Manning QBs (yes, there’s a third generation on the way — college sophomore Arch Manning at the University of Texas) featured both Peyton and younger brother Eli. While we didn’t carve out a spot for Eli within our Super 7, he deserves some love for his two Super Bowl wins.

However, Peyton was overall the more accomplished QB. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder was the prize of the 1998 draft, going to the Indianapolis Colts as the overall top pick. He more than lived up to his advance billing: Manning played 17 years (13 with Indianapolis, four with Denver) and posted a 186-79 record as a starter. He won five regular-season MVP awards, two Super Bowls and one SB MVP. (He’s also made us laugh with a host of TV commercials highlighting his appealing sense of humor.)

When Manning retired, he owned the records for numerous passing stats, including completions (6,125), yards (71,940) and touchdowns (539). Late in his career, he eclipsed those and other marks only recently set by Brett Favre — only to get topped by Tom Brady in the ensuing years.

Because Manning came to the NFL surrounded by hoopla as the son of longtime Saints QB Archie Manning, card manufacturers loaded their 1998 sets with Peyton cards. He appeared on more than 40 cards carrying the now-standard “RC” rookie card marking. They come from all the companies you’d expect, including Fleer, Pacific, Playoff, Score, Topps and Upper Deck, with each of them producing multiple different brands offering Manning rookies.

The good news: As with Brady and Mahomes, there are certain Manning rookie cards you can get for reasonable prices — maybe $100 to $200, sometimes lower. The most appealing? That’s up to you, but don’t overlook his 1998 Topps base card. It features a low-angle view of Manning jumping to his right, football cocked over his shoulder as he looked downfield. 

While it’s possible to pick that one up for anywhere from $10 to $50, make sure you’re not getting a reprint. And be aware that the Refractor version goes for way more. One recent example of a 1998 Topps Refractor Manning rookie sold on eBay for $7,655.

Another popular Manning rookie is his 1998 Upper Deck SP Authentic, made in an edition of 2,000. Goldin Auctions sold BGS 10 specimens of that card for $32,250 and $27,000 in 2021 and 2022. But hunt hard if you want one: Another PSA 10 example of Manning’s 1998 SP Authentic card recently got away for $6,600 on eBay. And grade-9 specimens have sold in recent auctions for prices between $1,175 and $2,000.

But which Manning rookie is “the one?” The clear answer: his 1998 Playoff Contenders autographed Rookie Ticket. 

It’s not marked with a production run, but it is believed to be part of an edition of only 200. PSA 10 examples have sold in recent years for $71,989 at Goldin Co., for $53,000 on eBay (listed by Probstein123), and for $52,800 and $48,000 at Heritage Auctions.

Some football experts would call Namath overrated, pointing to his record as a starter (62-63-4) and the imbalance of his TD passes (173) to interceptions (220). But in 1969, Namath cemented his place in Super Bowl history and in pro football lore. That January, as his AFL-champion Jets prepared to face the NFL champion Baltimore Colts as 18-point underdogs, Namath brazenly predicted and guaranteed an upset. And then he delivered, earning the MVP award in that landmark game. 

Also See: How Joe Namath's Super Bowl victory turned into cardboard gold 

He had other highlights in his career, leading the AFL in passing yardage three times, completions twice and TD passes once. But his Super Bowl moment lifted the relatively new AFL as it merged with the establishment, the decades-old NFL.

At the time, Topps had already bought into the AFL, and its most important pre-merger card was Namath’s rookie. Issued in Topps’ 1965 “tall-boy” set, it remains an impressive-looking piece of football card art. It features size (2 ½-by-4 11/16 inches), white borders, a bright yellow backdrop and a classic QB pose by a steely-eyed Namath.

Also See: Joe Namath 1965 Type 1 Photo sells for six figures 

Namath’s rookie in 9 condition has sold for more than a quarter-million dollars — that was at Heritage in 2018 ($264,000).

But in 2023, amazingly, eBay seller Probstein123 listed an off-center but still PSA 9-grade specimen that ended up selling for only $12,700. It was a remarkable price break, especially considering these sales of slightly lesser-condition specimens:

• $207,400 for a PSA 8.5 in 2023 (Goldin)

• $198,000 for a PSA 8.5 in 2021 (Heritage)

• $102,000 for an SGC 9 in 2021 (Heritage)

• $91,138 for a PSA 8.5 in 2019 (SCP)

• $78,000 for a PSA 8.5 in 2017 (Heritage)

• $64,800 for a PSA 8.5 in 2018 (Memory Lane)

• $54,600 for a PSA 8 in 2022 (Robert Edward Auctions)

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