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Rookie Card Values of Quarterbacks Drafted First Overall in NFL Draft

Top 5 Rookie Cards of #1 QB Picks That are Valuable

April 26, 2025

Elway

Cam Ward was just selected number one overall in the NFL draft. Will Cam's rookie card eventually be an iconic, valuable card? Time will tell! Here is a list of the top five rookie cards of number-one QB picks that are currently worth a pretty penny.

The NFL draft is underway, and the Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward first overall. In total, 40 times a quarterback was drafted number one. Hearing a name called before all others doesn't always translated into value in our hobby; a David Carr (2002) rookie isn't exactly coveted. However, there are a few gunslingers who have rookie cards worth quite a bit! Here is a list of the top 5 QB's taken first overall who have valuable rookies!

1971 Topps Terry Bradshaw

The four-time Super Bowl champ has his rookie card in the 1971 Topps set sitting at card #156. Drafted first overall in 1970, Bradshaw went on to win an MVP in 1978 and was elected to the Football Hall of Fame in 1989. To date, PSA has graded 6,260 Bradshaw rookies, and just THREE have been graded a Gem Mint PSA 10. As you know, condition is very important in relation to the value of a card; the change of even just a single number on a grade can alter the value by thousands of dollars! So how much is one of those three PSA 10 rookie cards of Terry Bradshaw rookie card worth? The last sale happened in October 27th, 2021 for:

PSA 10 = $430,500.00

1984 Topps John Elway

Two Super Bowl rings, the 1987 MVP, and 9 Pro Bowls are under John Elway's belt after he was drafted first in 1983. Elway hung up his cleats after being named Super Bowl XXXIII MVP and was called to the Hall of Fame in 2004. Elway's rookie is card #63 from the 1984 Topps set. Kids may have placed their 1971 Terry Bradshaw rookies in their bike spokes but knew how to safely store a collection by the mid-eighties. As cards were taken better care of in 1984, there are 191 PSA 10 cards graded of the Elway rookie. This card is still pretty valuable, though! The most recent sale of a PSA 10 was:

PSA 10 = $7,150

1989 Score Troy Aikman

The 1989 draft produced the three-time Super Bowl winner and 2006 Hall of Famer. Troy Aikman's rookie card is from the 1989 score set which is loaded with other key rookies including Barry Sanders, Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, and Derek Thomas! The Cowboys QB has 1,841 PSA 10 cards of his '89 score #270 and is worth:

PSA 10 = $430

1998 Topps Peyton Manning

The top pick from the 1998 draft has won more MVP awards than any other QB! Peyton Manning won FIVE MVP awards, two Super Bowl championships, and still holds the record for most passing yards and most passing touchdowns in a season. The 2021 Hall of Famer has far more rookie cards than Bradshaw and Elway as the hobby has grown so much. Rather than listing off every "1 of 1" or parallel card, which could take forever, we are sticking with the flagship Topps rookie card. Topps had the license to print football cards well before Panini did as they do today, so the majority of Hall of Famers have Topps rookie cards. Card #360 has 742 graded PSA 10.

PSA 10 = $510

2009 Topps Matthew Stafford

Stafford isn't in the Hall of Fame, but has quietly entered historic territory. The first pick from the 2009 draft has won a Super Bowl, is 10th all-time in passing yards, and 10th all-time in passing touch downs. A healthy 2025 season should put Stafford 7th in yards and 9th in touchdowns ahead of the other four QB's on this list. Currently, there are 532 PSA 10 examples of Stafford's 2009 Topps rookie card #430 with a value of:

PSA 10 = $79

We wish Cam Ward all the success and hope he lands on our next list! Do you have rookie cards of Hall of Fame players you're interested in selling? Just Collect is buying! Here is how you can contact us:

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