The amazingly talented John Elway wore the brilliant orange-and-blue Denver Broncos uniform for most of his NFL career. This year’s Broncos go into their NFL Week 6 Thursday Night Football matchup vs. the Seattle Seahawks, sporting those uniforms that looked so good on John Elway.
Now, we take a look at John Elway’s Top 5 Most Iconic and Valuable Football Cards from his playing days.
5. 1985 Topps John Elway #238
Top Sale:A PSA 10 version of the card sold for $12,600 on September 27, 2026 through eBay.
Another previous sale of a PSA 10 sold on April 4, 2026, on eBay for $7,950. This card, at least the gem mint versions, has been growing in value over the past 5-6 months. The card itself, from the legendary QB’s second year, is a love letter to block letters, showing several approaches to the typeface.
4. 1997 Flair Showcase Legacy Row 0 Masterpiece 1/1 John Elway PSA Authentic
Sale Details: This 1/1 card, in a PSA slab with authentic verification, was sold for $13,366 on September 30, 2024.
This card from 1997 shows off John Elway in the new (at that time) Denver Broncos uniform. It is hard to argue with the success that was achieved with the new duds. Elway and the Broncos reached the 1998 and 1999 Super Bowls and came away with two Lombardi trophies.
3. 1998 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems /50 John Elway PSA 7
Sale Details:Sold for $17,100 through Fanatics Premier auction on September 26, 2025.
It is always nice to have a PMG on our list. This one from 1998 features Elway hot off his first Super Bowl win, and on his way to his second. Of note, this top sale (as shown above) features the player’s number as the number on this out-of-fifty card- 7-out-of-50 in this case. Also graded at a 7, if grade number jersey matches aren’t a thing, they are now.
2. 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Red /150 John Elway
Top Sale Information: PMG Red PSA 9 sold for $47,500 on November 30, 2025 through eBay.
A similar sale for a 1997 Metal Universe PMG Green /15 John Elway BGS 8 sold for $45,600 on December 20, 2024, through Franatics Premier Auction. Given the enormous premium PMG commands, this would certainly go for more than the Red in 2026.
1. 1984 Topps Football John Elway #63
Top Sale Information: An autographed PSA 10/Auto 10 was sold for $111,182 on June 6, 2026.
Runner-up Top Sale Information:A BGS 10 version with no autograph sold for $50,000 on November 8, 2021, through Fanatics Buy Now.
The number one spot on our list is Elway’s 1984 Topps rookie card, right on the cusp of what some may consider vintage vs. the time of the major production boom. Whatever your personal definition might be, this card is fantastic. The card’s design includes orange corners, a light blue name box, and the team name in yellow, which makes for a fascinating overall composition.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/collectibles as The Top 5 Iconic & Valuable John Elway Cards.
