20 Most Valuable 1970 Topps Football Cards

By luck, the 1970 Topps football card set helped usher in a new era in professional football history.

Though the AFL and NFL originally merged in 1966 while maintaining separate regular-season schedules, 1970 was the first year they combined into one league, the NFL, with two conferences, the AFC and NFC.

And, because of the steep licensing fees to use NFL logos, 1970 was the first year that Topps went heavy with the airbrush on their cards...

If you look through the 1970 set checklist, you'll notice that there aren't any team logos on the card fronts.

Topps maintained this practice for eleven years and ended it finally with their 1982 set release.

Airbrushing aside, Topps delivered a great-looking design overall with this set.

And in this guide, we'll take a look at the 15 most valuable.

Let's jump right in!

1970 Topps #90 O.J. Simpson Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $4,500

After earning a Pro Bowl spot with a promising yet underwhelming rookie season in 1969, young Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson suffered through growing pains in his sophomore campaign.

Limited to just eight games due to a knee injury, Simpson rushed for just 488 yards and five touchdowns for a bad Bills team that finished just 3-10-1.

When he was able to suit up, Simpson's production was hampered by the philosophy of head coach John Rauch who was opposed to featuring one running back as the centerpiece of an offense.

Instead, Rauch believed that different looks and a cadre of multiple backs were the way to go.

Unfortunately, it didn't translate to on-field success, and Rauch resigned before the 1971 NFL season.

In short, it was a frustrating year for Simpson that was compounded by his distaste for professional football in the early stages of his career.

"The last two years I was playing football just for the money," Simpson said after the 1970 season.

"I couldn't wait for the season to end so I could get out of Buffalo and go back home."

Things would get better in the not-so-distant future after Rauch's departure and Simpson would develop into one of the most prolific running backs of the 1970s.

1970 Topps #150 Joe Namath

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $3,250

Even though he underwent three knee operations in his first five-plus years as a pro, three-time Pro Bowl quarterback Joe Namath played 77 regular-season games with the New York Jets without an interruption.

On October 18th, 1970, things came to a screeching halt.

Late in New York's Week 5 home loss to the Baltimore Colts, Namath broke a bone in his right throwing wrist, ending his 1970 season altogether.

"It's the first time I've ever been stymied by an injury," Namath said later on.

"It hurt so bad at the end of the game that I couldn't have gone back in there if I had to. I couldn't even throw a lob pass, it hurt so much."

Namath finished the year at just 1-4 as a starter, completing 90-of-179 passes for 1,259 yards, five touchdowns, and twelve interceptions.

It was a rough year made even rougher by a severe injury, and Namath wouldn't return to uninterrupted full-time duty until his fantastic 1972 campaign.

In Namath's stead, backup QB Al Woodall went 3-6 to lead the Jets to an unsightly 4-10 finish, the franchise's first losing season since 1965.

1970 Topps #59 Alan Page Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $750

Legendary Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page redefined the position from 1968-76 en route to nine-straight Pro Bowl selections and five First-Team All-Pro nominations.

And while he’d make history as the first defensive MVP in NFL history a year later, Page’s 1970 season is arguably more impressive from individual and team perspectives.

Playing all fourteen regular-season games for the Vikings, Page led a defensive unit that allowed just 143 points during the campaign and paced the league with 10.2 points allowed per game.

When opposing offenses got going, Page took things up a notch.

He recovered an NFL-best seven fumbles in 1970, including one for a touchdown.

Add in 10.5 sacks and an interception, and it’s easy to see why Page was a top-three finisher in the league’s MVP race.

He also earned his second-straight First-Team All-Pro spot and third Pro Bowl nod in a row.

Yes, the 12-2 Vikings went one and done in the playoffs with a 17-14 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round.

But, Page’s big-time regular season still set the stage for an unprecedented achievement just one year later.

1970 Topps #154 Bobby Bell

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $750

After winning the Super Bowl following the final season of AFL play, the Kansas City Chiefs took a step back in their first year as an NFL franchise.

The Chiefs finished just 7-5-2, missing the playoffs by a game in their inaugural year as a member of the AFC West.

While the Chiefs fell short of their postseason aspirations in 1970, future Hall of Famer Bobby Bell continued to revolutionize the linebacker position in his first 14 games as an NFL player.

Many believe his contributions are often overlooked because of the era in which he played.

But Bell is on the shortlist of the most explosive and multifaceted linebackers in league history.

He dominated in pass coverage in 1970, picking off three passes and returning one for a score.

And thanks to his 4.5/40 speed, Bell keyed an opportunistic Chiefs run defense throughout the year.

It was yet another fantastic season-long performance for Bell, earning him his sixth-straight First-Team All-Pro selection and seventh-straight Pro Bowl spot.

The Chiefs might have fallen back to Earth after their Super Bowl IV triumph, but Bell was still the class of the game’s linebacker pool.

1970 Topps #9 Checklist 1-132

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $500

As you can imagine, finding this checklist card without any markings or ticked boxes can be extremely difficult regardless of the shape the rest of the card is in.

Only eight examples of this card have achieved PSA 9 status.

Therefore, set builders looking to complete high-grade sets are more than willing to pay hundreds of dollars for this card in mint condition without any markings.

1970 Topps #70 Gale Sayers

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $450

From 1965-69, Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers ran circles around the NFL in a breathtaking All-Pro display of speed, grit, and instincts.

However, the beginning of the end came when he suffered a second major knee injury in the 1970 preseason.

Hobbled by bone bruises on his left knee, Sayers’ explosiveness was diminished beyond recognition in Chicago’s Week 1 road win over the New York Giants.

The 27-year-old took a couple of weeks off following the season opener, hoping to heal up and come back full-speed for a crucial Week 4 home tilt with the Minnesota Vikings.

It didn’t happen that way.

Sayers still looked off, carrying the ball just six times for nine yards before injuring his left knee even worse.

He underwent surgery the next week, ending his season and effectively setting his post-football career arc into motion.

While injured, Sayers went to school to become a stockbroker and finished second in sales among 45 world-renowned Paine Webber program trainees.

He’d make one last go at a pro football comeback in 1971, but the writing was on the wall.

His injuries were too much to overcome, and Sayers would retire from the game at just 28 years of age.

1970 Topps #180 Johnny Unitas

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $450

If there’s one word to describe legendary Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas’ 1970 NFL season, it’s likely “bittersweet.”

The 1970 Baltimore Colts will forever be etched in the annals of NFL lore as the first team to win the Super Bowl following the AFL/NFL merger.

And Unitas went a sterling 10-2-1 as a starter in 1970, leading the Colts to an AFC East title.

However, Unitas completed just 51.7% of his passes during the regular season for 2,213 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions.

There was no Pro Bowl selection to be had, and some press members framed the Colts’ success to be despite the veteran QB’s errors under center.

Regardless of the noise, Johnny U was undeterred and was efficient in Baltimore’s first two playoff wins, throwing for 390 yards and three touchdowns with zero picks to beat the Cincinnati Bengals and Oakland Raiders.

However, Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys was a different story.

Unitas was uneven, throwing two interceptions and a then-Super Bowl record 75-yard touchdown pass to John Mackey before he was sidelined with a rib injury in the third quarter.

Backup Earl Morrall replaced Unitas and led the Colts to the title with a last-minute 16-13 win.

A year later, Unitas would go from the team’s unquestioned #1 to splitting time with Morrall, a strange postscript to a successful championship campaign.

1970 Topps #4 Ralph Neely

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $400

1970 was a transitional year for three-time First-Team All-Pro offensive lineman Ralph Neely.

After anchoring the right tackle position for the Dallas Cowboys from 1965-69, Neely was supposed to act as the team’s starting right guard in 1970.

However, he soon replaced Tony Liscio as left tackle as the veteran struggled with chronic back issues.

Neely’s move to left tackle was a mixed bag.

The offense acquitted itself well, finishing tenth with 21.4 points per game.

However, Neely sometimes missed assignments and failed to reach the All-Pro heights of his stretch from 1966-69.

Regardless, the Cowboys marched all the way to Super Bowl V and came just one late-game drive short of a championship.

Neely was more than serviceable during this playoff push, finding his groove as the year went on.

He’d remain Dallas’ franchise left tackle until the late 1970s.

Just 23 examples of Neely's card have been graded in PSA 9 condition, making it one of the tougher cards in the set to find in high grade.

1970 Topps #30 Bart Starr

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $400

After Vince Lombardi left the team following Green Bay's Super Bowl II victory over the Raiders in 1968, Bart Starr decided to stick around and play as long as possible to help new head coach Phil Bengston and the team transition to a new era.

During the 1968 and 1969 seasons, Starr led the league in completion percentage and passer rating, proving he still had plenty left in the tank in his mid-30s.

But, by the time the 1970 season rolled around, Bart Starr was 36 years old, and his career's downtrend began to show.

That's not to say that he still wasn't a great quarterback.

Starr threw for 1,645 yards and eight touchdown passes on the season as the Packers turned in a disappointing 6-7 record to miss the playoffs.

But, with five NFL Championships and two Super Bowls to his name, Starr didn't have much left to prove and had already given Packers fans plenty of playoff glory.

Starr suited up for a few games during the 1971 season but ultimately retired during the summer of 1972.

1970 Topps #190 Dick Butkus

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $400

After winning the NFL Championship in 1963, the Chicago Bears slipped into utter irrelevancy.

The team posted just two winning seasons and missed the playoffs every year from 1964-76.

During that 13-year trip into the football wilderness, the Bears became a league-wide punchline.

Yet, no one was laughing at all-world linebacker Dick Butkus.

While the rest of the team struggled around him, Butkus cemented himself as the most respected player in the league.

He won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 1969 despite Chicago’s brutal 1-13 record.

And he followed that up in 1970 with a repeat engagement as Defensive Player of the Year, earning his September 1970 Sports Illustrated caption as the “Most Feared Man in the Game.”

The Bears finished 6-8, once again missing the postseason.

But Butkus was a steady revelation, notching his sixth-straight Pro Bowl selection, third-straight First-Team All-Pro nomination, and a fifth-place finish in the league’s MVP race.

1970 Topps #1 Len Dawson

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $350

On January 11, 1970 Len Dawson completed 12 of 17 passes for 142 yards and one touchdown against one interception to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a 23-7 Super Bowl IV win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Dawson earned Super Bowl IV MVP honors for his performance that day and looked to keep that momentum rolling into the 1970 Regular Season.

However, Kansas City just couldn't get things going all season long, as they never won more than two games in a row and finished second in the AFC West with a disappointing 7-5-2 record.

During the 1969 Regular Season, the Chiefs had fired on all cylinders on both sides of the ball, scoring 25.6 and allowing just 12.6 points per game.

Unfortunately, the 1970 season was a different story as the offense managed to score only 19.4 points per game while the defense also regressed and allowed 17.4 points per game.

A Super Bowl repeat would not be in the cards for Dawson and the Chiefs as they missed the playoffs entirely.

Still, Dawson would go down in history as one of the greatest quarterbacks in history and part of the infamous Purdue "Cradle of Quarterbacks" that featured other Super Bowl-winning QBs in Bob Griese and Drew Brees.

1970 Topps #262 Ed Weisacosky

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $350

There wasn’t a lot of love lost between former Miami Dolphins linebacker Ed Weisacosky and legendary Dolphins head coach Don Shula.

After starting all fourteen games under former coach George Wilson in 1969, Weisacosky lost his starting role when Shula rolled into town in 1970.

Shula cleaned house, remaking the Dolphins into a contender and leading them to their first playoff appearance in five years of existence.

One of the casualties of Shula’s retooling process was Weisacosky.

He went from a featured part of Miami’s defense to playing in just three games as a reserve in 1970.

Weisacosky played just two more years in the league, signing on with the New England Patriots for the 1971 and 1972 seasons.

In later years, Weisacosky wasn’t shy about his disdain for Shula, calling him a “bitter old f--k.”

Regardless of whether that’s sour grapes or not, Shula never saw it in the former sixth-round pick.

And, Weisacosky’s playing career arc started its downward trajectory after Shula relegated him to mop-up duty in 1970.

1970 Topps #95 Rich Jackson

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $300

Rich Jackson made his professional football debut during the 1966 season with the Oakland Raiders, where he played five games at linebacker.

But, after a multi-player trade between the Raiders and Broncos, Jackson found himself playing for the Denver Broncos during the 1967 season.

Attempting to capitalize on Jackson's incredible quickness around the edges, the Broncos moved him from linebacker to defensive end, where he would find personal success for five seasons from 1967 to 1971.

During the 1970 season, Jackson logged ten sacks to earn his third-straight trip to the Pro Bowl.

Unfortunately, the Broncos were terrible in 1970, finishing with a 5-8-1 record for fourth place in the AFC West and out of the playoffs.

Sadly, the Broncos were terrible the entire time Jackson played for them from 1967-1971, finishing in fourth place in the AFC West each year.

Jackson never got a taste of playoff football, but he became the first Denver Bronco to be named to the All-NFL First Team for his play during the 1970 season.

Only 23 copies of Jackson's card have earned a PSA 9 grade, making it tough to find in top condition.

1970 Topps #237 Merlin Olsen

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $300

The 1970 season saw Merlin Olsen continue to do what he had for the Los Angeles Rams every year since he entered the league in 1962: dominate the left tackle position.

Throughout the 1960s and into the early 1970s, Olsen anchored the Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" that developed a reputation as one of the most incredible defensive lines in history.

Despite two new members for the 1970 season in Diron Talbert and Coy Bacon, the "Fearsome Foursome" continued under Olsen's leadership to help the Rams' defense allow the second-fewest points in the league by giving up a stingy 14.4 points per game.

The Rams were excellent in 1970, finishing with a 9-4-1 record.

Unfortunately, the division-rival San Francisco 49ers were just a bit better, finishing at 10-3-1 to beat out Los Angeles for first place in the NFC West and a playoff spot.

On the year, Olsen notched 8.5 sacks on his way to a fifth-straight First-Team All-Pro selection and a ninth-straight visit to the Pro Bowl.

Olsen played fifteen seasons for the Rams, earning Pro Bowl honors in each of the first fourteen seasons to tie him with Bruce Matthews, Tony Gonzalez and Peyton Manning for the second-most Pro Bowl selections behind Tom Brady's fifteen.

1970 Topps #156 Claude Humphrey Rookie Card

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $275

Five years in, the Atlanta Falcons experiment wasn’t going the best.

From 1966-68, the Falcons went an abysmal 6-35.

And while they finished a respectable 6-8 in 1969, the roster still had more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese.

As a result, Falcons regressed in 1970, ending the season at 4-8-2 despite breakthrough contributions by a small handful of players.

One of those players was future Hall of Fame wrecking ball Claude Humphrey, a third-year left defensive end coming into his own as an electric game-changer.

After starting all 28 games for the Falcons from 1968-69 and taking home NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, Humphrey leveled up in 1970 to earn his first Pro Bowl selection.

The 26-year-old posted double-digit sacks (10) for the third-straight year, adding his first career interception and a fumble recovery.

He was a big reason the Falcons finished in the top ten of the NFL in total defense, despite logging a disproportionate percentage of on-field time due to an ineffective offense.

Better would come, but 1970 was undoubtedly a significant turning point in writing Humphrey’s Canton resume.

1970 Topps #133 Chuck Walker

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $275

Chuck Walker spent twelve years in the NFL as a defensive lineman for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Falcons, appearing in one Pro Bowl (1966) during that time.

During the 1970 season, Walker played very well, logging 7.5 sack and recovering two fumbles for an outstanding Cardinals defense that was the fifth-best in the league, allowing just 16.3 points per game.

The St. Louis was excellent as well, scoring 23.2 points per game which was good enough for fourth-best in the league.

And, the team's 8-5-1 record proved how good they were during the 1970 season.

Unfortunately, the Dallas Cowboys (10-4) and New York Giants (9-5) were slightly better that season, forcing the Cardinals to settle for a disappointing third-place finish in the NFC East.

Walker's card is one of the most difficult in the set to find in high grade, with only 15 examples having achieved a grade of PSA 9.

1970 Topps #175 Carl Eller

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $275

The Minnesota Vikings marched to a third-straight NFC Central Division title in 1970 by riding a high-octane offense and stingy defense.

And at the front of that stingy defense stood Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller and the rest of the infamous "Purple People Eaters."

While the Minnesota offense ranked third in the league by scoring 23.9 points per game, the defense under Eller's leadership was even better as they allowed a league-best 10.2 points per game.

Minnesota was incredibly dominant on both sides of the ball that year, ultimately finishing with a 12-2 record that was better than any other team's that year.

Shockingly, the San Francisco 49ers sent the Vikings home early in the playoffs by knocking them out in the Divisional Round in a close 17-14 defeat.

Still, Eller again proved how valuable he was to the Minnesota Vikings by finishing with 13 sacks on the season to earn his third-straight First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections.

He finished fifth in the MVP vote, to boot.

1970 Topps #255 Houston Antwine

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $250

During the Boston Patriots’ run of futility from 1967-70, defensive lineman Houston Antwine was one of the franchise’s lone bright spots

Antwine earned Second-Team All-Pro honors every year from 1967-69 and led the team in sacks each season from 1967-69.

And while he didn’t earn any official accolades in 1970, he still notched six sacks and started all fourteen games at right defensive end as a stalwart presence.

The Boston Patriots lost 42 games (against just 13 wins and a tie) from 1967-70, entering a rebranding phase as one of the NFL’s laughing stocks.

In 1971, the franchise embraced a brand-new era as the New England Patriots.

However, Antwine played just three more regular-season games for the team, ultimately retiring from the league after a one-year stint with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1972.

1970 Topps #260 Calvin Hill

Estimated PSA 9 (Name in Black) Mint Value: $250

After starring on both the football and track teams at Yale during his collegiate career, Calvin Hill found himself drafted by the Dallas Cowboys with the 24th pick of the 1969 NFL Draft.

Many initially doubted Hill's success could transition to the NFL since the Ivy League had a minimal history of producing successful NFL players.

As fate would have it, however, Hill got his chance to prove everyone wrong during the second preseason game after starting halfback Dan Reeves struggled with knee problems and his backup, Craig Baynham, had injuries of his own.

From that point on, Hill didn't look back and would start thirteen games for the Cowboys in 1969, leading the team in rushing yards (942) and rushing touchdowns (8) to capture Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

He also earned First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

Talk about proving people wrong...

Hill's sophomore campaign during the 1970 season wasn't as productive, however, as he struggled with injuries and blisters to rush for just 577 yards and four touchdowns in nine starts.

Hill's card is one of many in this set that appears in two variations depending on the coloration of the player's name.

The variation where Hill's name appears in black instead of red carries a price premium as it's more difficult to find in top condition.

1970 Topps #162 Larry Csonka

Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $225

Hall of Fame fullback Larry Csonka is most often remembered for being one of the keys to the Miami Dolphins' back-to-back Super Bowl victories in 1972 and 1973.

But, the 1970 season is when Csonka really started to make a name for himself as he rushed for 874 yards and scored six touchdowns to pick up his first Pro Bowl selection that year.

From that point forward, the league was put on notice that Csonka was a tough, hard-nosed runner that made opposing defenders pay as he often hit harder than they did.

After eleven seasons in the NFL, Csonka earned two Super Bowl rings, Super Bowl VIII MVP honors, five Pro Bowl selections, and two All-Pro nominations.

Upon retiring, he went into the record books as one of the biggest legends in Dolphins franchise history.

And, later, he'd enjoy a successful television career in various roles, one of which I'll never forget as host of the show "American Gladiators" during the early 1990s.

1970 Topps Football Cards In Review

The checklist may have been small by today's standards at just 263 cards, but the 1970 Topps football set packs plenty of punch.

A solid rookie card class to go along with several stars and Hall of Famers offer as much for collectors to enjoy as any football card set from the 1970s

The color scheme may seem a bit dull compared to others of the era, but I enjoy the straightforward and conservative look.

It's been decades since this set was first released, but it has helped up very well as one of the most iconic of the vintage era of the hobby.