Montana was a player for the big occasions, and his football cards are among some of the best collecting options in the hobby, for retired players.
I personally think Montana’s best football cards are his 1981 Topps rookie card, and his 1996 Upper Deck Game Jersey card; I’ve covered those 2, and his other best cards, below.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary - Top 3 Picks
- 1981 Topps Rookie Card #216
- 1996 Upper Deck Game Jersey #GJ3
- 2018 Panini National Treasures Synced Signatures #SSKQB (with Patrick Mahomes II)
The Best Joe Montana Cards
Due to the era he played in, Joe Montana’s playing days were limited to mostly dated-looking base and insert cards, while his post-career modern cards follow the current trends, with relics and autographs.
He has some valuable cards from across his playing career and beyond; Here’s a look a the best 10 Montana football cards:
1981 Topps Joe Montana Rookie Card #216
The Joe Montana card from the 1981 Topps set is his only rookie card, and easily the most popular and valuable Joe Montana card ever released.
In fact, it’s one of the most expensive sports cards from all the ‘80s.
Despite Montana debuting in the NFL in 1979, it wasn’t until this 1981 Topps set that Montana had a trading card issued, because he hadn’t really established himself as a starter until then.
The card design itself looks relevant to its age and era, but the clashing green, red and yellow colors used by Topps does work.
Gem Mint graded copies of this Montana rookie carry an extra premium, and sell for big money; PSA 10 graded copies sell for on average $45,000-$50,000, but in 2022 one sold for as much as $103,200.
1982 Topps All-Pro Joe Montana #488
The 1982 Topps All-Pro Joe Montana card is one that features a different kind of image than we’re used to seeing on a football card; It shows ‘Joe Cool’ on the sidelines, taking a call from a coach in the booth.
The design of the card itself has a big difference from his 1981 Topps rookie card from the previous year.
This is one of three Montana cards from the 1982 Topps set.
A PSA 10 graded copy sold for $4k, back in 2021.
1983 Topps Joe Montana #169
Topps made some big changes to the design of the cards in the 1983 football set.
They did revert to a thin green border and yellow box at the bottom though, similar to the 1981 Montana rookie card.
Interestingly, the Topps logo isn’t featured at all on the front of this card. A simplistic design, but this 1983 Topps Joe Montana card offers a good budget option for collectors who want one of his earliest cards.
This one has sold for as high as $2,250 before, graded 10 by PSA.
1985 Topps Joe Montana #157
Although the 1985 Topps football set didn’t quite have the star power of some of the Topps sets from the years before and after, the card offers collectors something different.
The landscape design immediately makes this card stand out.
The dark border makes this one somewhat difficult to find in good condition today, and there’s a big premium on copies in the highest grade.
A PSA 10 graded copy of this one sold for $3,500, back in 2021.
1986 Topps Joe Montana #156
The 1986 Topps set and card design are most associated with the Jerry Rice rookie card that features as part of the 396 card checklist, but it also has this Joe Montana card, which is one of his most valuable.
The distinctive design, which many football card collectors can identify as 1986 Topps, with the green and white diagonal border might be bold, but it has plenty of fans.
A PSA 10 graded copy of this one has sold for as much as $4,670 before, which makes it one of Joe Montana’s most expensive cards.
1991 Upper Deck Heroes Joe Montana Auto #9
This landscape Upper Deck Heroes Joe Montana card from 1991 has big appeal, with the on-card signature, and handwritten serial number; Something we don’t see much of.
Limited to 2,500 copies, the card showcases four different images of Montana, for both the 49ers and his college team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Back in 2023, a PSA 10 graded copy sold for $3k.
1996 Upper Deck Game Jersey Joe Montana #GJ3
The 1996 Upper Deck Game Jersey Joe Montana was one of the first cards in the football card hobby to feature a relic, and I think it’s easily one of his best football cards ever.
The valuable and sought-after card was released at a rate of 1 in 2,500 packs, it’s not easy to get hold of these days.
It’s a popular card, which released long after Montana had retired; The game-worn relic piece gives it big added appeal.
A PSA 8 graded copy of it sold for $2.21k in 2024.
2005 Donruss Elite Passing the Torch Dual Autograph Joe Montana / Tom Brady #PT-30
This 2005 Donruss Elite Passing the Torch Autograph card offers collectors something a bit different, with a double side card, featuring two NFL legends, and their signatures.
On one side, you have Joe Montana, with his signature, and on the other side it’s Tom Brady, with his signature; It’s one of the most valuable football cards that features Montana.
It’s serial-numbered to only 50 copies, and there are no parallels, so getting hold of this one isn’t easy.
A BGS 8.5 graded copy of this one has sold for as much as $4.8k in the past.
2006 Playoff National Treasures Timeline Hall of Fame Material Signatures Joe Montana #TL-JM
In the NFL card hobby today, National Treasures cards are among the most premium and sought-after football cards out there.
The 2006 National Treasures collection features multiple Joe Montana cards, but for me, this is the pick of them; The Timeline Hall of Fame Material Signatures card, which is one of Montana’s best and most valuable cards ever.
The card features 3 match-worn relic patches, and Montana’s signature, which makes for an appealing card.
The base version is limited to only 25 copies, and there’s a Prime parallel, which adds a further 10.
In 2022, a PSA 10 graded copy of the Prime parallel version sold for $5.4k.
2018 Panini National Treasures Synced Signatures Joe Montana / Patrick Mahomes II #SSKQB
Here’s another entry from the premium National Treasures brand, and fans of the Kansas City Chiefs will love this one: The 2018 Synced Signatures Joe Montana and Patrick Mahomes card.
The dual on-card signature card features the autographs of both legendary quarterbacks, featured in the Chiefs strip, which gives a past and present concept; It’s one of my favorite Montana cards.
It’s one of the most valuable Joe Montana cards of all time, which is helped by the 2 big-name signatures, but also the card’s rarity; Only 10 numbered base copies of this on exist, with no parallel versions.
Back in 2021, a BGS 9.5 graded copy of the card sold for $12,000.
When Was Joe Montana’s Rookie Season?
Joe Montana’s rookie season was in 1979, after he was selected as the 82nd overall pick by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1979 NFL Draft.
What Is Joe Montana's Rookie Card?
Joe Montana’s only official rookie card was released in the 1981 Topps football set, the #216 card.
What Is The Most Valuable Joe Montana Football Card?
The most valuable and expensive Joe Montana football card to buy is his 1981 Topps rookie card.
There have been multiple previous sales of over $100k for the card, and the average price of a PSA 10 graded copy is $45,000-$50,000.
It’s one of the most expensive sports cards of the 1980s.
What Are Joe Montana Cards Worth?
Joe Montana has many different cards from various manufacturers, released over the years of his NFL career; Depending on the card and condition/grade, the values vary from a few dollars to thousands of dollars.
His 1981 Topps rookie card generally sells for hundreds of dollars, in high grades, on the secondary market; The value of the card in top condition and grade goes into the multiple-ten thousands range, with some previous sales going over $100k.
How Many Rookie Cards Does Joe Montana Have?
Joe Montana only has one officially recognized rookie card in the football card hobby – The 1981 Topps card (#216).
Joe Montana: A Background
While Joe Montana might not be considered as being on the level of Tom Brady, he’s no doubt one of the best quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen.
The Pennsylvania native is a four-time Super Bowl champion, who spent the majority of his 16-year playing career with the San Francisco 49ers, who retired his jersey number 16 in honor of him. He finished his career at the Kansas City Chiefs.
The legendary quarterback, nicknamed ‘Joe Cool’, has a long list of individual and team accolades: Including eight Pro Bowl selections and two regular-season AP MVP awards, to go with his four Super Bowl titles and three Super Bowl MVPs.
