10 Under-The-Radar Football Cards Every Broncos Fan Should Own
The football card market took off this past year, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing fans to find an activity to do when stay-at-home orders were in place, and thus spending money on sports cards.
For anyone who wants to get into the sports card market, there are some affordable cards available, and the Denver Broncos are no exception. While a few players have more expensive cards — particularly if you are looking at autographed or individually numbered cards — the majority of Mile High cards are affordable for people on a budget.
If you're a Broncos fan who has thought about collecting football cards again, you might want to look for some of the more notable rookie cards for popular players.
A rookie card, by definition, is a trading card printed for a player for the first time. It isn't always printed when the player is a rookie — that was the case back in the earlier years of football cards, when players mostly had their first cards printed the year after their rookie season.
One thing to keep in mind is, if you are on a budget, you'll want to look for ungraded copies. Cards that are graded command a premium, meaning you'll pay more. The good news, though, is you can find ungraded cards if you take the time to look.
But which cards should Broncos fans look for?
Allow me to reveal 10 rookie cards Broncos fans may want to track down. I picked 10 of the more interesting cards from different years, but each one features a player who every fan should know — and each rookie card features the player in his Orange and Blue uniform. And in most cases, they shouldn't cost you a lot, as long as they are ungraded.
1. 1968 Topps Floyd Little RC
Let's go old school, back when the AFL and NFL were in the process of merging. Little made his AFL debut in 1967, so his first card wasn't printed until the following year.
Because cards back in those days weren't always kept in pristine condition, finding a rookie card for Little that's in good condition can be tough. If you find one in near mint condition, it may cost you a little more than $20. If you aren't as concerned about the condition, you can find copies of his card for less.
2. 1972 Topps Lyle Alzado RC
Alzado was one of the first cornerstones for what became the Orange Crush defense. He made his NFL debut in 1971 and his card was released the following year.
Again, cards from that time period aren't always in top condition, and near-mint copies of Alzado's rookie cards can be found for $15 or less. Again, if you aren't that concerned about the condition, you can pay even less money.
3. 1976 Topps Randy Gradishar RC
Gradishar was a first-round pick in 1974, but it took two years before his first cards were issued. While more collectors realized the value of older baseball cards at this point, football cards had yet to attract interest.
Once again, finding copies of Gradishar's rookie card in top condition isn't easy, but if you find one, it won't cost you much. Near-mint copies sell for about $5 to $10.
4. 1978 Topps Tom Jackson RC
Jackson's first season in the NFL was 1973, but it took five years before Topps thought to produce a card for him. Perhaps it wasn't until the Broncos reached the Super Bowl that Topps thought to feature more members of the Orange Crush in its set.
Jackson's cards don't sell for that much, though they sell for a little more than they might otherwise given his notoriety as an ESPN analyst. Near-mint copies will run you about $5.
5. 1984 Topps John Elway RC
We now enter the era in which people were more aware of keeping sports cards in top condition, so it's easier to find such Elway rookie cards. However, a lot of them are being graded, given that Elway is considered one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
You may have to be patient when looking for ungraded copies of Elway's rookie card, but if you do, you should be able to find one for no more than $50. But if it's a graded copy you want, expect to pay a lot more.
6. 1995 Select Certified Terrell Davis RC
Davis was a sixth-round pick in 1995 and, while more card companies were putting players into their sets in their rookie seasons, they didn't do that for players drafted late. Hence, Davis only appears in a handful of sets, all released late in the season.
That makes Davis' rookie cards more valuable than they might otherwise be. His Select Certified rookie card can be found for about $10, though you'll pay more if it's a graded copy.
7. 1995 Fleer Ultra Rod Smith RC
Like Davis, card companies didn't think about printing rookie cards for Smith when he was a rookie, given that he went undrafted. In Smith's case, though, it's a more unique situation.
His Fleer Ultra rookie card is his only rookie card — an unusual situation at the time, given how many card companies would produce rookie cards for players drafted high. Since this is Smith's only rookie card, it will cost you a bit more, but it's still affordable at about $12 if ungraded.
8. 2010 Certified Demaryius Thomas RC
By this time, there were fewer card companies and they were adding more autographed, jersey, and individually-numbered cards. And considering Thomas was a first-round pick in 2010, it's not surprising he has a lot of cards available.
The majority of his cards aren't autographed or memorabilia cards, and of those that are, they can be pricey. But you might get a good deal for his Certified rookie card, which is autographed and features pieces of his Broncos jersey. You'll likely pay around $30 or so for this one, but it's less than you'll pay for other signed cards. Unsigned rookie cards are cheaper and usually no more than $2.
9. 2011 Playoff Contenders Von Miller RC
Miller is another player who entered the NFL when card companies were inserting autographed and memorabilia cards into sets, and because he was drafted No. 2 overall, every set featured him.
If you are looking for an autographed card, Miller's Playoff Contenders card is reasonably priced, which sells for about $50 if ungraded, but will cost you a lot more if graded. If that's too much for you, most of his unsigned rookie cards won't cost you more than $2.
10. 2020 Donruss Jerry Jeudy RC
In 2020, the pandemic meant that it was tougher to get cards produced of rookies in their team uniforms. Jeudy's Donruss rookie card is one of the first, but with the rookie premiere canceled, the card company had to digitally alter some player photos.
Jeudy's Donruss rookie card still looks nice, though, and it will cost you about $4 if ungraded. If you're looking for a higher-value card, there's a gold parallel that's numbered to 50 and will cost you about $15. Expect to pay more if you want an autographed or memorabilia card, especially if it's graded.
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