Top 1996 Topps Football Cards to Collect

The 1996 Topps Football set tends to be overlooked by collectors in the year 2025. The set marked the 40th anniversary of Topps Football, releases, and the set contains some Hall of Fame rookie cards. The design is fairly typical of Topps flagship releases, containing white borders. However, it features a full player photograph, alongside a multicolored rectangle at the bottom of the card that contains the player's name, position, and team.

Rookie cards are marked by a gold circle that contains a football with a "96" in the middle. Released in both hobby and retail formats, the 1996 set deserves it's moment of recognition. With that being said, here are the top cards to collect from the release.

1. Marvin Harrison RC (Card #426)

1996 Topps Football Marvin Harrison RC | eBay

When it comes to Wide Receivers during the 2000s, it might not get too much better than Marvin Harrison when it comes to production. Harrison spent his entire career with the Indianapolis Colts, eventually retiring in 2008. He eventually earned a Hall of Fame nod, largely due to the statistics he put up during his playing career. Harrison accumulated 14,580 yards and 128 touchdowns. He also was named to the Pro Bowl 8 times, and was on the Colts Super Bowl winning team in 2006. Harrison's rookie can be purchased by collectors in ungraded condition for around $3, with a PSA 10 copy selling recenlty for $57.

2. Mike Alstott (Card #419)

Mike Alstott played during a time in the NFL when the Fullback position was quite valued, but he also spent some time as the lead Running Back for the Buccaneers. Alstott ran with fierceness, typically breaking at least one tackle per play. While Alstott's rookie is affordable, with recent sales falling around the $1-$3 dollar range, what is interesting to note is a recent PSA 10 sale. Only 23 PSA 10s exist of Alstott's rookie, with a copy selling nearly a month ago for $150.

3. Eddie George (Card #435)

While not in the Hall of Fame, Eddie George was a powerful and bruising running back for the Tennessee Titans. He played on the team that made the Super Bowl, but came up short against the Rams. George had a very respectable career, rushing for 10,441 yards and 68 touchdowns. In 1996, he earned the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He also earned 4 Pro Bowl nominations during his career as well. George's rookie is a fairly cheap add for collectors to their collections, with ungraded copies selling for as low as $1, depending on condition.

The 1996 Topps Football set contains some key rookie cards of Hall of Famers, as well as major stars of the 2000s. It is a set that can sometimes get lost in the shuffle of releases, largely due to the availability of the rookie cards on the open market. But, this makes the cards affordable for collectors, and any of the cards on this list would be great additions to anyone's collection. Even nearly 30 years later, the design is a memorable one, and should be viewed today in high regard within the hobby.