The Top 6 Iconic Walter Payton Football Cards
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We kicked off our initial installment with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw. This go-around, we view top cards from one of the best running backs ever to play in the NFL and the player whose legacy could be argued to be the most admirable of all in Walter Payton.
Walter Payton, or Sweetness as he was known, left his indelible mark on the world of football and beyond. Each year, the NFL honors him with the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award for someone who exemplifies humanitarian values off the field.
5) 1981 Topps Walter Payton #400
Top Sale: PSA 10 sold for $9,975 on July 16, 2025, through eBay.
Total PSA 10 Population: 30
We start our list with our lone card from the 1980s, which features Walter Payton on this 1981 Topps football card, wearing a bright white Chicago Bears jersey with number 34 on it. Payton was the last Chicago Bear to wear 34, as the number was retired in his honor in 1988.
4) 1979 Topps Walter Payton #480
Top Sale: PSA 10 sold for $11,285 on April 26, 2025.
PSA 10 Population: 19
The 1979 Topps card featuring Walter Payton's picture brings the viewer's eye to the scuffs and scratches on his helmet and brings to mind the grinding and brutal work of being an NFL running back.
3) 1978 Topps Walter Payton #200
Top Sale: A PSA 10 sold on June 11, 2026 for $11,750.
PSA 10 Population: 25
The classic 1978 Topps football set features the team name in a colored frame around the player. Payton's card shows him in uniform, ready and waiting for his time to take action on the field. The card notes his All-Pro status from the 1977 season, when he was also named the NFL MVP by the Associated Press.
2) 1977 Topps Walter Payton #360
Top Sale: On April 25, 2022 a PSA 10 version of this card was sold for $31,200
PSA 10 Population: 13
The 1977 Topps football card featuring Walter Payton represents his sophomore season in the NFL while showing off some of his accomplishments from his rookie season, including surpassing 1,000 yards and 1976 All-Pro honors.
1) 1976 Topps Walter Payton #148
Top Sale: SGC Gold Label Pristine 100 sold for $228,000 on February 26, 2021, through Heritage auction.
PSA 10 Top Sale: $124,230 on March 8, 2021.
PSA 10 population: 56
A recent sale of a PSA 10, 1976 Topps Walter Payton rookie card took place on August 6, 2026, for $98,405.20. A PSA 7 sold for $888 on September 15, 2026. This card is the sought-after rookie card for one of the game's all-time great players and people.
1A) 1976 Topps Walter Payton #148 PSA 7/ Auto 10
Top sale: PSA 7/Auto 10, a pop 2 card, sold for $280,600 on March 2, 2026, through Heritage.
The signed 1976 Topps Walter Payton rookie card tops our list, combining the most sought-after version of the player's card with the highly accomplished player's autograph.
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D. Allen Thompson is a contributing collectibles writer with eclectic tastes. He provides enthusiastic commentary on the ever-evolving world of trading cards against the backdrop of the broader historical, economic, and societal contexts in which they exist. He is on a journey to find fascinating stories and meet interesting people while using trading cards as the guideposts to lead the way to the American Dream.