The Essential Football Cards of the 1960s

Football is and has been the most popular sport to watch in the United States since the early 1970s. Last year's Super Bowl was watched by more than 127 million viewers. It was the 1960s that ushered football's modern age, with the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 coming on the heels of the Super Bowl I in 1967.

OTD 1969,No One thought the NY Jets had a prayer vs the Powerful Baltimore Colts in SB III,But Joe Namath and his Teammates made everyone believers.#Jets #Colts ⁠ ⁠ #SuperBowl #NYC #Baltimore #1960s

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— Tom’s Old Days (@sigg20) January 12, 2023

The iconic 1969 Topps football set accompanied football’s rise in popularity. It is the most popular football card set of the 60s. We look at the cards that have defined the 1960s. For this article, we looked at the most-graded cards by PSA, according to GemRate.

6. 1960 Topps Jim Brown #23 (2,709 PSA submissions)

Brown’s rookie card is in 1958 Topps, but his 1960 version is still one of the most popular of the 1960s. It is the sixth-most graded 1960s football card by PSA and the third-most by SGC. Despite 2,709 PSA submissions, none has received a Gem Mint grade.

There are 22 PSA 9s, but getting one will set collectors back. The most recent public PSA 9 sale was for $7,195. A PSA 6 sells for about $150.

5. 1969 Topps Johnny Unitas #25 (2,710 PSA Submissions)

As of this writing, Unitas’ card edges out Brown by a single submission for PSA’s fifth-most graded 1960s football card. There is a single Gem Mint in existence. It is also his most-graded card by SGC. A PSA 9 sold for $1,700 in May 2025. The legendary quarterback strikes a pose in this card, coming off a 1968 NFL Championship, but also coming off a loss in Super Bowl III to Joe Namath and the New York Jets.

Unitas, along with backup quarterback Earl Morrall, would help lead the Colts to a Super Bowl title in 1971 against the Dallas Cowboys.

4. 1969 Topps Bryon (Brian) Piccolo #26 (2,757 PSA submissions)

1969 Topps Brian Piccolo — Image Courtesy of PSA

Despite the misspelling of Piccolo’s first name on the front and back, he remains one of football’s biggest legends. An undersized running back out of Kansas, Piccolo played for five seasons in the NFL, sharing the Chicago Bears backfield with Gale Sayers.

In Nov. 1969, his fifth season, Piccolo was diagnosed with cancer. After two surgeries to remove tumors, doctors found the cancer spread to his liver. He died on June 16, 1970. Brian's Song, a made-for-TV movie depicting Sayers' and Piccolos' friendship, premiered less than 18 months after his death. The movie had an initial audience of 55 million viewers.

3. 1969 Topps Larry Csonka #120 (3,254 submissions)

1969 Topps Larry Csonka #120 Rookie Card — Image Courtesy of PSA

Csonka’s rookie card is one of the most recognizable among football collectors. His friendly smile and pose betray the ferocity of his play on the field. Csonka was a cornerstone of the Miami Dolphins of the early 1970s, who went to three straight Super Bowls from 1971 to 73 and won back-to-back championships in 1972 and 1973.

There are 3,254 PSA submissions, yielding 2 PSA 10 Gem Mints. There are no records of the last public sale of a PSA 10, but a PSA 9 last sold for $4,200 on eBay in June.

2. 1969 Topps Joe Namath #100 (3,609 submissions)

Namath's 1965 Topps rookie card is one of the all-time iconic football cards. However, his 1969 Topps card is his most graded card. Namath became a superstar after leading the New York Jets to a stunning upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. It was the final Super Bowl before the AFL-NFL merger.

There are three PSA 10s in existence. One sold in 2016 for $15,000. PSA 9s, population 57, sell for $500-$600.

1. 1996 Philadelphia Gale Sayers #38 (3,930 submissions)

1966 Philadelphia Gale Sayers RC — Image Courtesy of PSA

Sayers’ rookie card edges out Namath for most-graded football card of the 1960s. It is also the most-graded by Beckett and SGC. In 1966, Sayers was entering the second year of his NFL career. As a rookie, he earned first-team All-Pro honors and a Pro Bowl selection. Sayers only played seven seasons, but they were magnificent. Sterling Sharpe, whose Hall of Fame induction is this weekend, is another star who played seven seasons before getting his career cut short.

Despite 3,930 PSA submissions, no PSA 10s exist. There are 38 PSA 9s, with the most recent sale recorded in May 2022 for $58,800. A PSA 6 example sells for about $400.