Highlights

• NFL trading cards have sold for huge sums of money and are expected to continue rising in value as the market grows.
• Rare and valuable rookie cards, inserts, and autographs are the most sought-after by collectors.
• Some of the most expensive NFL trading cards include rookie cards of legends like Bronko Nagurski, Walter Payton, Tom Brady, Joe Namath, Bart Starr, Jim Brown, and Patrick Mahomes.

Over the years, sports cards have continued to rise in popularity as collectors continuously clamor to collect their favorite players. Panini has consistently released football card sets that feature some of the league's most famous rookies and legends. Generally, the most valuable cards are rookies, rare inserts, and autographs.

As sports cards continue to increase in popularity, many famous NFL trading cards have sold for record prices. With the market only going up in 2022, expect NFL cards to continuously rise in value as they grow in popularity. Here are 10 NFL trading cards that are worth a fortune.

UPDATE: 2024/02/13 20:00 EST BY STEFANO MOCELLA

The NFL's revenue continues to go up every season, which tells you the game is growing. That means that merchandise, memorabilia and anything associated with the NFL will continue to go up in value and trading cards are no exception. Collectors have been able to amass a fortune, simply by keeping trading cards that are decades old in mint condition and playing the long game. With the massive star power in the NFL today, one can only assume that trading cards you find today will only go up in value as the decades pass. For now, let's take a look at some top dollar NFL trading cards today.

10 1935 National Chicle Bronko Nagurski Rookie Card #34 - $174,000

Pro Football Hall of Famer, Playing LB and FB

Bronko Nargurski is considered one of the most intimidating players in NFL history. He played linebacker and fullback for the Bears and compiled a career that earned an induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

His 1935 rookie card is one of the most expensive cards in sports card history and sold for $174,000.00 in 2019 graded a PSA 8.5. A PSA 10, gem mint, would likely be well over $500,000.00 if ever discovered, but the changes are unlikely given the rarity of the card.

9 1976 Topps Walter Payton Rookie Card #148 - $228,000

Chicago Bears Icon, One of the Greatest RBs in NFL History

It should come as no surprise that Walter Payton's rookie card makes this list. Payton is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, running back of all time. His 1976 Topps rookie card is an extremely difficult card to get a good grade on.

In February 2021, an SGC 10 which is considered a pristine grade, sold for $228,000.00. Expect a PSA 10 to hit somewhere between $500K-$700K given the rarity and difficulty of grading this card.

8 2000 Bowman Chrome Tom Brady Rookie Card #236 - $233,700

Backup QB in his Rookie Season

This might be the most iconic rookie card on this list and for good reason. Tom Brady is undoubtedly the most famous and accomplished football player in NFL history. His 2000 Bowman chrome rookie is one of the most sought-after cards in the industry.

A BGS 9.5 sold for $223,700 in March 2021. This card is truly an investment and only goes up in value year after year. It's crazy to think that Brady was just some no-name backup when this card was released, as he was still backing up Drew Bledsoe in New England.

7 1965 Topps Joe Namath Rookie Card #122 - $264,000

Only Five Cards In Existence With A PSA 9 Grade

Joe Namath is arguably the greatest player in Jets franchise history, if not he's certainly the most important. After all, the Jets winning the Super Bowl with him under center remains the greatest moment in their franchise's history. That Super Bowl victory also cemented the AFL as a legitimate equal to the NFL.

As for Broadway Joe, his 1965 Topps rookie card is an extremely difficult grade, as it's in very low supply these days. Only five cards in grading history have earned a PSA 9 grade.

A PSA 9 copy sold in 2018 for a whopping $264,000 and will likely see increasing value given its rarity.

6 1957 Topps Bart Starr Rookie Card #119 - $288,000

Five-Time NFL Champion, Two-Time Super Bowl Winner

Bart Starr is one of the most well-known Packers in franchise history and led the team to back-to-back Super Bowls. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977 and remains a legend in the city of Green Bay. With Starr under centre, the Packers were the winners of the first two Super Bowls (then called the NFL-AFL World Championship Game) and he won five NFL Championships.

His 1957 Topps rookie card is a very difficult card to score a high grade given the quality of the card. A PSA 9 sold for $288,000.00 in 2017.

5 2017 Panini Flawless Patrick Mahomes Rookie Card #4 1/1 - $312,000

Exponential Value Increase In Just Seven Years

Panini's Flawless set has become one of the most sought-after sets in the industry. The price tag on a box is north of $20k making it one of the most expensive purchases available to collectors. Whoever paid that price in 2017 for a box has now become a rich individual, as there proved to be a goldmine card in there, with a first-round pick you might have heard of...

Patrick Mahomes' rookie auto 1/1 sold for a record $312,000 and only received a 7.5/10 grade from Beckett. A 9 or high would likely break the $1M price tag for the right buyer.

4 2000 SP Authentic Tom Brady Rookie Card #118 /1250 - $312,000

Arguably The Most Sought After Rookie Card

There is a reason why Tom Brady continues to pop up on this list. His NFL accomplishments speak for themselves and his rookie cards continue to go up in value.

His 2000 SP Authentic rookie card numbered 1250 is one of his most sought-after cards. A BGS 10 sold for $312,000.00 in 2021.

3 1958 Topps Jim Brown Rookie Card #62 - $358,500

NFL's Biggest Star of the 1960s

Old-school running backs are an extremely popular buy for collectors. Fans today may not be able to fully understand just how important Jim Brown was to the NFL in his heyday. Brown is considered one of the greatest running backs in NFL history and a Hall of Fame inductee, but he is so much more. He was truly an icon of the game and arguably, the NFL's first true box office superstar.

Only five of his rookie cards have ever been graded a 9. One of the five sold for $358,500 back in 2016.

2 2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady Championship Ticket Auto Rookie Card #144 - $3.1 Million

Most Valuable Tom Brady Card In Existence

Of course, Tom Brady winds up back on this list. His other rookie cards are worth six figures, but whoever has this card in their collection is truly sitting on a fortune. This is probably Brady's most popular and valuable rookie card in existence. It features Brady focused and ready to make a big throw with his signature towards the bottom of the card.

There are only 100 in existence and a BGS 9 sold for $3,107,372.40 back in 2021. This is one of the most valuable sports cards in existence.

1 2017 National Treasures NFL Shield Patrick Mahomes Autographed Rookie Card #161 1/1 - $4.3 Million

Mahomes' Super Bowl 58 Victory Will Likely Up The Value Of The Card

Any time a collector unpacks a 1/1 card, chances are they have made their money back and more. The Patrick Mahomes National Treasures 1/1 rookie auto is one of the most prestigious cards in existence.

A BGS 8.5 sold for $4,300.000.00 in July 2021 and is the most expensive football card to date. If Mahomes continues his NFL dominance, this card could find itself north of $10 million at some point in time. With Mahomes already having multiple Super Bowls under his belt and so much more racetrack to go in his NFL career, one can only wonder just how much his rookie cards will be worth 10-20 years from now.