RANKING THE G.O.A.T'S - ROOKIE FOOTBALL CARD EDITION
- Doug Karlberg-Erlien
- Apr 20
- 6 min read
As I have re-entered the hobby after a nearly three decade hiatus, I have learned a lot of things. Imagine being asleep for thirty years only to wake up to life as we know it now. It's that way for me with cards.
First, the price in cards now is crazy compared to when I last cracked a pack. My parents owned a small town grocery store and my pay for helping out was a pack or three of baseball or football cards.
Second, information about comps of what your card is worth is right at your fingertips. It was before too...only in a Becket price guide not every sale of every card in the world like we do now.
I'm a big stats geek! I love data. It doesn't tell the whole story, but it gives you an idea of a piece of it during a period of time. As I began to acclimate myself to the new world order of sports cards collecting, I found that by listening to podcasts, reading blogs and watching hobby content that the majority of today's collectors share a similar journey as mine and a similar entrance.
My go-to spot for information is Sports Cards Pro. There are a ton of sites/apps that will give you info but I was drawn to the site as I began to look through my collection of cardboard and try to find the value in what I had. JJ Hendricks created SportsCardsPro.com and I am excited to pick his brain about the hobby most specifically pricing of cards on a future In The Cards podcast. Stay tuned for that.
My first few posts on In The Cards will surround the G.O.A.T's in each sport and their card relevance. I wanted to start with football with Topps regaining the license and the first week of sales going absolute bananas. Trying to reconcile how a Matthew Golden Tecmo Bowl insert card can sell for $1,800, I wanted to dig deeper into the all-time greats. This isn't an argument about who are the G.O.A.T's in any sport. The names I picked can and do have an argument for that status.
The data surrounding each, gives you a little detail into their individual sales market. How much is each card raw? What are the grading pops? How liquid are these cards? All great questions when navigating the card universe.
Here we go, in no particular order.
If you are looking to get into this card, prepare your wallet. Brady's rookie sells for more than $1,500 raw (ungraded). Since January 1, his rookie card has sold 210 times both raw and graded so whether you are holding in your PC or flipping you'll get your money back out of the card. When it comes to G.O.A.T status, Brady is at the top of the list.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $15,394 | $5,254 | $3,159 |
Pop | 1,219 | 2.908 | 1,152 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 30+ | 30+ | 30+ |
Here was my first real shock of this project. There isn't a G.O.A.T on this list who had their cards move more than Rice. Since January 1, his rookie card has sold 1,487 times including more than 30 times raw so far in April. I'll always look at value and try to find cards that meet at the intersection of affordability and liquidity. Jerry Rice checks both boxes. His card sells for just under $50 raw and has a huge upside of $71,000+ in a PSA 10. The issue is there are only 63 of them. The 1986 Topps football set is a tough grade for sure.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $71.615 | $3,101 | $276 |
Pop | 63 | 1,117 | 14,560 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 0 | 30+ | 30+ (April) |
One of three vintage members of our G.O.A.T list is Jim Brown. I was excited to look more at the liquidity of vintage than the price. The strategy for vintage rather than modern can be tricky as there is no "rookie or performance hype" behind the price. It's all based on performance. You can scoop a Jim Brown raw card for under $550 although there have only been 24 raw sales since January 1. If you see a Jim Brown rookie, scoop it. With a low pop count and little movement, you'll be happy you have one.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $106,434 | $23,660 | $21,509 |
Pop | 0 | 6 | 199 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 0 | 0 | 3 |
The Giants legend put the fear of God in Quarterbacks back in the day. Taylor's rookie is affordable (just don't tell Joe Theismann at under $30 raw making it a fabulous raw to grade play. Grab it and send it to your favorite grading spot. You'll make money at a seven or above.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $7,221 | $615 | $137 |
Pop | 193 | 1,190 | 3,331 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 2 | 11 | 30+ |
When I thought about the G.O.A.T's in football, my mind started with Cool Joe. Brady has surpassed him from a career accomplishment perspective, but Montana was the dude in the 80's. I was a little surprised at his raw card price ($95) but the value combined with his liquidity makes a raw to grade play a solid choice. Like his favorite target, Jerry Rice, Montana's rookie is liquid and affordable.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $47,060 | $2,927 | $488 |
Pop | 114 | 2,186 | 10,016 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 4 | 30+ | 30+ |
When I look at raw to grade strategy, I always look at which point I'm underwater value wise from a grading stand point. More on that later, but if I'm looking to flip this card and make money, I need to get a 9 or a 10 in order to make money. It's a tricky line to cross. Raw, this card sells for just south of $90. Even though there are 1,487 PSA 10's, already graded Manning rookie cards are probably the way to go in a hold and flip scenario. His graded cards sell!
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $1,094 | $159 | $78 |
Pop | 1,487 | 4,858 | 1,068 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 29 | 30+ | 30+ |
Sweetness is his nickname and so is his rookie card. Raw, his card sells for just North of $200 with 632 total sales (raw and graded) since January 1. Low pop counts in this vintage card make it a must have when you come across it.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $54,982 | $6,116 | $1,736 |
Pop | 56 | 748 | 3,210 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 0 | 10 | 30+ |
Reggie White is the only G.O.A.T on our list with two cards. He was drafted in the USFL in 1984 and his rookie card sells for around $85 raw. His USFL rookie has only sold 76 times since January 1 compared to his 1986 Topps card which has fold 512 times in the same span including over 30 times raw in April alone.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $17,227 | $534 | $224 |
Pop | 8 | 486 | 1,281 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 0 | 6 | 18 |
You can snipe a Reggie White 86 Topps rookie for under $10. This card has sold more than 30 times raw in April alone.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $8,013 | $223 | $47 |
Pop | 43 | 697 | 3,274 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 0 | 23 | 30+ |
The final vintage play in our G.O.A.T list, Johnny Unitas' rookie card is affordable but again, you'll need to flip your strategy when it comes to vintage. With low pop counts (201) in anything graded an 8 or above, you'll still make money with lower graded cards as well making the investment worth it.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $64,224 | $9,620 | $7,787 |
Pop | 0 | 9 | 192 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Finally, our one ultra-modern G.O.A.T is the only active player on the list. Patrick Mahomes has owned the football scene winning three big games in four appearances. His rookie Optic Holo will cost you just over $700 raw. Surprisingly he has only had 46 sales overall (raw and graded) since January 1.
Grade | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Comp | $1,201 | $455 | $320 |
Pop | 808 | 759 | 106 |
Sales (Since 1/1) | 18 | 5 | 2 |
What I found interesting is that it wasn't an ultra-modern player whose cards are the most liquid, it was players from the 80's, right in my wheelhouse! I figured the vintage players wouldn't see as much movement.
*Data pulled from SportsCardsPro.com in April, 2026. Head to their site for latest/updated info!
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