Welcome to The Athletic Collectibles Staff’s Sports Card of the Week! Here we highlight a notable, interesting, or just plain fun sports card. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1985 Chicago Bears, we go back to the mid-’70s and highlight one of the most memorable players from that Super Bowl-winning team.

Walter Payton’s 1976 Topps #148 rookie card was the must-have of the set. Key Hall of Famers in the set include Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, and O.J. Simpson, as well as rookie cards of Jack Lambert, Ed ‘Too Tall’ Jones, Randy White, and Randy Gradishar. 

Despite being drafted in 1975 and playing 13 games with seven rushing touchdowns in his rookie season, Payton’s first NFLPA-licensed card wasn’t produced until 1976. At the time, Topps typically didn’t include cards of true rookies in its football sets released in the same year of their debut, as sets were usually released around the beginning of the season. The legendary rookie card features a smiling Payton in a portrait pose that’s become an iconic image.

Why it matters

Payton’s 1976 Topps card is one of the most sought-after and renowned running back rookie cards among football collectors. Known as “Sweetness,” Payton established himself as an all-time great in the Chicago Bears backfield, earning nine Pro Bowls appearances, five All-Pro honors, the 1977 MVP award, and a Super Bowl ring in 1985. He retired after the 1987 season as the NFL’s all-time rushing leader, a record he held for nearly two decades until Emmitt Smith surpassed him in 2002.

Beyond his accomplishments on the gridiron, Payton was also a community leader and committed philanthropist, which earned him the honor of having the NFL Man of the Year Award named after him. The influence he had on the running back position and the fact that his legacy is still celebrated today contributes to the enduring appeal of his rookie card.

PSA graded population and current market value

Among the nearly 17,000 Payton 1976 Topps rookie cards graded by PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator), just 56 have earned a Gem-Mint PSA 10 grade. Its extreme rarity in PSA 10s has resulted in only a handful of recorded sales each year, with the most recent sale fetching $60,000 in August 2025.

The most common grade for this card is PSA 8 (3,168 copies), and it currently sells on the secondary market for around $1,250 (ungraded examples of the card sell for around $150). Before the resurgence of the sports card market in 2020, PSA 8 examples of Payton’s 1976 Topps card were worth around $400, showing how much the card has risen in value and demand in recent years. According to GemRate, a platform offering sales data and graded population reports, it’s Payton’s most graded card by PSA, with his second most PSA graded card (1986 Topps #11) trailing by over 12,000.

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(Card images: eBay)