Sports Cards: 10 Most Valuable Football Rookie Cards of the 1990s (2024)

Let's say you collected football cards during the 1990s, and now you're revisiting your old collection and wondering if anything you have is valuable.

We've got you covered!

Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the 10 most valuable rookie cards of the 1990s. A few important parameters for our list before we get started:

Off we go!

Raw: $20
PSA 9: $100
PSA 10: $400

The New York Giants selected Michael Strahan in the second round of the 1993 NFL draft out of Texas Southern, and after seeing limited action as a rookie, he took over as a starter on their defensive line in 1994 with 40 tackles and 4.5 sacks.

Three years later, he had a 14-sack season and earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, and from there he enjoyed a run as one of the game's most dominant defensive players. He set a single-season record with 22.5 sacks in 2001 when he also won Defensive Player of the Year, and he wrapped up his 15-year Hall of Fame career in 2007 with 141.5 sacks.

There are nine different Strahan rookie cards scattered across 1993 products, and his 1993 Ultra card is the most sought-after of the bunch. Only 361 have been submitted to PSA, with a good chunk of them receiving PSA 9 (150) and PSA 10 (127) grades.

Total Rookie Cards: 9

Raw: $30
PSA 9: $110
PSA 10: $500

Kurt Warner is one of the unlikeliest superstars in NFL history.

Undrafted out of Northern Iowa in 1994, he didn't make his NFL debut until the 1998 season, and by 1999, he was the MVP after throwing for 4,353 yards and 41 touchdowns as the signal-caller for the Greatest Show on Turf teams in St. Louis.

He had another MVP season in 2001 when he led the league in passing yards (4,830) and passing touchdowns (36), and his unlikely rise to prominence culminated with his Hall of Fame induction in 2017.

He has an autographed rookie card in the 1998 Playoff Contenders set that commands a premium, and he also has a 1999 Collector's Edge rookie with a print run of only 500. But as far as his base rookies are concerned, his 1998 Bowman's Best is the top seller.

Total Rookie Cards: 14

Raw: $10
PSA 9: $125
PSA 10: $800

A third-round pick in the 1996 draft, Terrell Owens spent the first five seasons of his career playing alongside Jerry Rice in the San Francisco 49ers receiving corps.

In 15 NFL seasons, he racked up 1,078 receptions, 15,934 receiving yards and 153 receiving touchdowns, and his big personality and touchdown celebrations made him one of the faces of the sport at the peak of his prime.

His top rookie card is part of the 1996 SP set that also features rookies of Marvin Harrison, Jonathan Ogden, Eddie George and Keyshawn Johnson. The condition-sensitive nature of the set makes it tough to find high-grade versions, which explains the big gap between raw and PSA 9 prices.

Total Rookie Cards: 10

Raw: $50
PSA 9: $150
PSA 10: $750

One of the greatest middle linebackers to ever play the game, Ray Lewis was chosen No. 26 overall in the 1996 NFL draft out of the University of Miami.

He racked up 110 tackles as a rookie for the Baltimore Ravens and then led the NFL in combined tackles (184) and solo tackles (156) in his second season to earn his first of 12 Pro Bowl selections. His 2,059 career tackles are No. 1 on the all-time list since the stat was first tracked in 1987, and he had 13 100-tackle seasons.

Lewis was not included in the 1996 SP set, but he does have a premium rookie card in 1996 Bowman's Best set. And his enduring popularity and legendary status continue to drive interest. There are 231 PSA 10 copies in circulation from the 989 that have been submitted for grading.

Total Rookie Cards: 8

Raw: $60
PSA 9: $150
PSA 10: $1,500

Emmitt Smith was selected No. 17 overall in the 1990 NFL draft out of Florida, and he made an immediate impact for the Dallas Cowboys, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year with 937 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.

As a rising star for the most popular team in the sport, Smith was a hobby juggernaut at the onset of his career, and his Score Supplemental rookie card was THE card when it first hit the market, regularly fetching triple-digit prices.

Despite the overproduction of the set, it's difficult to find gem mint copies of the card, with only 757 of the 9,454 that have been submitted for grading coming back with a PSA 10 grade.

The NFL's all-time leading rusher also has significantly more affordable rookie cards in the 1990 Action Packed, 1990 Fleer Update, 1990 Pro Set and 1990 Topps Traded sets.

Total Rookie Cards: 5

Raw: $20
PSA 9: $190
PSA 10: N/A

Offensive linemen generally don't generate much hobby interest. But exceptions are made for some of the all-time greats, and longtime Seattle Seahawks standout Walter Jones fits into that category.

The 6'5", 325-pound left tackle was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1997 NFL draft, and he spent his entire 12-year career in Seattle, earning nine Pro Bowl selections and four All-Pro nods. He was tasked with protecting the likes of Warren Moon, Jon Kitna and Matt Hasselbeck under center, and he helped pave the way for some big rushing seasons from Ricky Watters and Shaun Alexander.

The rookie cards from the 1997 SP Authentic set have held their value as well as any from the 1990s. The foil design makes high-grade versions tough to find, and there are only 32 PSA 10 versions of the Jones rookie card with no recent sales on eBay. Jason Taylor, Tony Gonzalez, Ronde Barber, Warrick Dunn, Corey Dillon and Jake Plummer are among the other foil rookies in the set.

Total Rookie Cards: 19

Raw: $10
PSA 9: $200
PSA 10: $1,600

The Rams selected Jerome Bettis with the No. 10 overall pick in the 1993 draft, and he rushed for 1,429 yards in his first season en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. However, his production dipped over the next two years, and he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers on draft day in 1996.

The 5'11", 252-pound bowling ball racked up 1,431 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns in his first season in Pittsburgh, and he went on to post six straight 1,000-yard seasons to carve out his place as a fan favorite and a legend in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization.

He has a ton of rookie cards, as 1993 was the peak of oversaturation on the football card market, but none stack up to his 1993 SP rookie card both in terms of visual appeal and enduring value. Of the 867 that have been sent to PSA, only 39 have come back with a PSA 10 gem mint grade.

Total Rookie Cards: 22

Raw: $50
PSA 9: $200
PSA 10: N/A

The second entry on this list from the 1997 SP Authentic set belongs to one of the most dynamic defensive players of his era.

Longtime Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor is one of the most disruptive pass-rushers in NFL history with 139.5 sacks and 151 tackles for loss, and he also had eight interceptions and three return touchdowns while spending some time at outside linebacker. The 6'6", 244-pound University of Akron alum had a career-high 18.5 sacks in 2002 and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2006.

Unlike most of the players on this list, he only has three different rookie cards, and his SP Authentic carries a much higher price tag than the 1997 Collector's Choice and 1997 Collector's Edge Extreme options. There are only 40 PSA 10 copies in circulation and no recent sales for price comparison.

Total Rookie Cards: 3

Raw: $80
PSA 9: $225
PSA 10: $600

New England Patriots postseason hero Adam Vinatieri has carved out a level of hobby relevance that has not been seen by a kicker or punter in the years before or since.

He was still kicking as a 47-year-old in 2019 with the Indianapolis Colts, and he is the NFL's all-time leader in field-goal attempts (715), field goals made (599) and total points scored (2,673). However, it's his two game-winning field goals in the Super Bowl for the Patriots that vaulted him to hobby relevance.

His only rookie card is in the 1997 Pacific Philadelphia set, and much like Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz, who only has two true rookie cards, the lack of options has helped prop up the value of this card as it's a must-own for any Patriots fan.

Total Rookie Cards: 1

Raw: $100
PSA 9: $225
PSA 10: $1,500

Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions and completed just 56.7 percent of his passes as a rookie with the Indianapolis Colts after going No. 1 overall in the 1998 draft. Just imagine how many collectors who invested in his rookie cards were calling him a bust and cutting their losses selling cards for pennies on the dollar.

Turns out, he eventually figured things out, winning five MVP awards on his way to going down as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. He ranks in the top five all-time in completions (6,125, fourth), passing yards (71,940, third) and passing touchdowns (539, third), and his personality off the field has helped his popularity transcend football.

His 1998 SP Authentic rookie card is his most valuable, but with a print run of just 2,000, it was not eligible for inclusion in these rankings. Instead, the pick for his top rookie is a tossup between 1998 Topps Chrome and 1998 Bowman Chrome, with both cards commanding $1,000-plus in PSA 10 condition.

Total Rookie Cards: 43

All card images courtesy of TCDB, while pricing data is pulled from recent eBay sales as of Thursday morning. Stats via Football Reference.