12 Most Valuable 1987 Topps Football Cards
If you ask collectors what their favorite football card set of the 1980s is, most aren’t likely to mention the 1987 Topps football card set.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad set by any means…
It just means that many will point to other 1980s sets because of their iconic rookie cards like Montana in 1981, Marino and Elway in 1984, or Rice and Young in 1986 that rank among the top cards of any era.
Or, they might point to the 1985 and 1986 Topps sets simply because of their design layouts that are far different from any others.
Whatever the reason, the 1987 Topps set doesn’t get as much recognition as it should.
It has some great rookie cards, plenty of big-name Hall of Famers, and legendary stars of that era.
And in this guide, I’ll run through the fifteen most valuable in the checkliSt. Let’s jump right in!
1987 Topps Football Set Snapshot
SET DETAILS
396
GRADING ANALYSIS
48,842
TOTAL GRADED BY PSA
9,706
PSA 10 Population
19.9%
PSA 10 Grade Rate
MOST GRADED CARDS
1
#362 Jim Kelly
11.9%
5,834
2
#115 Jerry Rice
10.6%
5,187
3
#296 Randall Cunningham
10.1%
4,950
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Ross Uitts – Owner
- #1
1987 Topps #296 Randall Cunningham Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $900Total PSA Population 4,950PSA 10 Population 135PSA 10 Grade Rate 2.7% (Set Avg: 19.9%)When the Philadelphia Eagles handed the keys to their offense to 24-year-old quarterback Randall Cunningham in 1987, it was an equally exciting and nerve-wracking proposition.
On the one hand, Cunningham was a one-of-a-kind athlete who could break a big play with his feet or arm at any moment.
On the other hand, the young QB struggled with overconfidence and making basic reads.
He took countless vicious hits and sacks by holding onto the ball too long, causing Eagles coaches and fans to chew their nails to the quick.
For Philadelphia, though, the good far outweighed the bad.
Cunningham shined in his first full year as a starter, completing 223 of 406 passes (54.9%) for 2,786 yards and 23 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
He was also Philly’s leading rusher, carrying the ball 76 times for 505 yards and three touchdowns.
All of these offensive theatrics came with their fair share of pain.
After leading the league with 72 sacks the year before, Cunningham once again paced the NFL with 54 sacks for 380 yards loSt. Philadelphia went 7-5 with Cunningham under center and 0-3 during the short replacement era, missing out on a playoff spot for a sixth straight season.
- #2
1987 Topps #362 Jim Kelly Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $475Total PSA Population 5,834PSA 10 Population 450PSA 10 Grade Rate 7.7% (Set Avg: 19.9%)In his second year with Buffalo after the collapse of the USFL, Jim Kelly’s intellectual approach to the game started to pay dividends.
After an up-and-down first season chock full of impressive throws and head-shaking interceptions, Kelly cut down on his mistakes in year two by trusting his progressions.
There weren’t quite as many big-ticket deep throws.
However, cutting his interception frequency by over 25% helped Buffalo become a better team.
Dropping his INT rate from 3.5% to 2.6%, Kelly finished the year with a 6-6 record as a starter, a 59.7% completion rate, 2,798 yards passing, 19 passing touchdowns, and just 11 interceptions.
He also added 29 rushes for a not-insignificant 133 yards.
Kelly’s evolution as a clutch performer was a key sign of big things to come for the first-time Pro Bowler and the 7-8 Bills.
He also orchestrated the first two fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives of his career in 1987, showcasing a flair for the dramatic that would help Buffalo take control of the AFC in the early 1990s.
- #3
1987 Topps #115 Jerry Rice
PSA 10 Value $450Total PSA Population 5,187PSA 10 Population 415PSA 10 Grade Rate 8.0% (Set Avg: 19.9%)Jerry Rice’s 1987 campaign is one of the most impressive single-season showcases by any player at any position in NFL history.
Full stop.
In his third professional year, the San Francisco 49ers wideout was a scoring threat unlike anyone before or since.
Playing in just 12 games due to the NFLPA strike, Rice caught 65 passes for 1,078 yards and a new NFL record of 22 TD receptions.
Only one other wide receiver got to double digits in 1987.
Philadelphia’s Mike Quick finished second in the league with 11 TD catches, exactly half of Rice’s historical output.
Named NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year and finishing as the NFL MVP runner-up in a tight race with Denver QB John Elway, over a third of Rice’s catches resulted in a touchdown.
The First-Team All-Pro also added eight rushes for 51 yards and a score during the regular season and caught three passes for 28 yards in the team’s one-and-done postseason appearance.
While Randy Moss technically broke Rice’s record in 2007 with 23 touchdowns in 16 games, Rice remains one of just two receivers to cross the 20-touchdown threshold.
And if he had played 16 games like Moss, 30 touchdowns would have been a very distinct possibility.
- #4
1987 Topps #264 Herschel Walker Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $400Total PSA Population 1,829PSA 10 Population 228PSA 10 Grade Rate 12.5% (Set Avg: 19.9%)After being forced to play three different positions in his rookie season, Herschel Walker had no intentions of doing the same in 1987.
Walker publicly complained about the arrangements, calling out the Cowboys’ coaching staff and front office.
He wanted to be the feature running back, and the fact that Tony Dorsett was logging more carries didn’t sit well with the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner.
Looking towards the future and hoping to keep Walker happy, the Cowboys slotted Walker in as the team’s primary halfback and relegated Dorsett to a supporting role.
Walker rewarded the coaching staff for their decision, earning All-Pro Second-Team honors and his first Pro Bowl appearance.
The 25-year-old running back was the NFL’s most prolific dual threat, rushing 209 times for 891 yards and seven scores and catching 60 passes for 715 yards and a touchdown.
His 1,606 yards from scrimmage paced the league.
Despite Walker’s best efforts to carry them to the postseason, the Cowboys’ inconsistencies on both sides of the ball got the best of them.
Dallas finished 7-8, a game behind Minnesota for the NFC’s final Wild Card spot.
- #5
1987 Topps #46 Walter Payton
PSA 10 Value $300Total PSA Population 2,735PSA 10 Population 231PSA 10 Grade Rate 8.4% (Set Avg: 19.9%)Before the 1987 campaign, Walter “Sweetness” Payton announced his intentions to retire at the end of the season.
It was the final act of one of the most accomplished careers in NFL history.
While Payton’s trademark athletic grace, speed, and maneuverability weren’t quite all there in his 13th and final season, he was still a generational talent who revolutionized the running back position for decades to come.
In 1987, Payton split carries with his soon-to-be replacement Neal Anderson.
He finished the season with career lows in rushes (146) and rushing yards (533), tacking on four rushing TDs.
He also added to his cache as the best receiving back of his era, adding 33 catches for 217 yards and a score.
The Bears rode a stifling defense and varied offensive attack to an 11-4 record and a fourth straight division title.
However, despite 18 carries for 85 yards for Payton in his final playoff game, the Bears were upended by the visiting Washington Redskins in a 21-17 NFC Divisional Round clash.
Payton left the game with his head up as the NFL’s leading all-time rusher (16,726) and the running back with the most receptions (492) in league history.
- #6
1987 Topps #26 Lawrence Taylor
PSA 10 Value $200Total PSA Population 369PSA 10 Population 44PSA 10 Grade Rate 11.9% (Set Avg: 19.9%)A year after he broke ground as the first defensive player in NFL history to win MVP honors, things went sideways for Lawrence Taylor and the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in 1987.
New York stumbled hard out of the gates, losing their first five games.
It was so bad that Taylor crossed the picket line during the strike, hoping to right the ship while protecting his earnings of “$60,000 a week.” Many of his teammates who stood pat with the union grew angry, leading to a divided locker room for a significant portion of the season.
By the time the Giants got things moving in the right direction, it was too late.
Despite 12 sacks and three interceptions by Taylor in his seventh straight Pro Bowl season, New York finished two games out of the playoffs at 6-9.
It was simply a lost year at the Meadowlands.
Taylor’s Second-Team All-Pro nomination was clouded by losses, the end of his consecutive games streak of 106 due to a hamstring injury, and a wave of controversy that would only grow louder in 1988.
- #7
1987 Topps #45 Doug Flutie Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $200Total PSA Population 1,330PSA 10 Population 63PSA 10 Grade Rate 4.7% (Set Avg: 19.9%)Following a disappointing professional debut in the waning days of the USFL, Doug Flutie had plenty to prove before he’d earn his reputation as a legit NFL starting quarterback.
After playing just four games (with one start) for the Chicago Bears in 1986, the 1984 Heisman Trophy winner was traded to the New England Patriots at the start of the 1987 campaign.
Faced with a logjam of veteran starters ahead of him on New England’s depth chart, Flutie seized a brief starting opportunity by crossing the picket line in Week 6.
In his only regular-season action of the year, Flutie went 15 for 25 for 199 yards and a touchdown against the replacement-stacked Houston Oilers.
He also added six rushes for 43 yards, pushing the Pats to a 21-7 win.
Flutie showed plenty of grit in the victory but couldn’t parlay that into more playing time in 1987.
Flutie would play parts of two more seasons with New England before cementing his legacy (and future NFL prospects) with an eight-year stint in the Canadian Football League.
- #8
1987 Topps #112 Joe Montana
PSA 10 Value $175Total PSA Population 2,179PSA 10 Population 178PSA 10 Grade Rate 8.2% (Set Avg: 19.9%)In perhaps the strangest season in modern NFL history, “Montana Magic” was a reliable constant.
A 24-day players’ strike wiped out Week 3 of the 1987 NFL season, leading to an embarrassing three-week replacement player fiasco in Weeks 4 through 6.
Attendance dropped and network ratings plummeted as NFL owners scrambled to find players willing to cross the picket lines.
Interestingly, Joe Montana was one of the NFL mainstays who decided to zig when the NFLPA zagged.
The legendary San Francisco 49ers quarterback played two games during the strike (Weeks 5 and 6), starting one and throwing five touchdowns against two interceptions.
Altogether, Montana’s 1987 campaign was one of his finest, whether he played against “scrubs” or the league’s elite.
The 31-year-old Pennsylvania native posted new career bests for completion percentage (66.8%), touchdown passes (31), and quarterback rating (102.1), all of which topped the NFL leaderboards.
10-1 as a starter, the now five-time Pro Bowler led San Francisco to a fourth division title in five years.
Come playoff time, though, the “Magic” ran out, if only for a game.
Montana was far from himself in the team’s NFC Divisional Round matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, going just 12 for 26 for 109 yards and a pick.
Steve Young eventually replaced him, but the Niners fell behind 27-10 in front of their home fans and couldn’t recover, falling 36-24 in a stunning upset.
- #9
1987 Topps #233 Dan Marino
PSA 10 Value $150Total PSA Population 1,432PSA 10 Population 214PSA 10 Grade Rate 14.9% (Set Avg: 19.9%)After winning three straight passing titles from 1984-86, a mere Pro Bowl season in 1987 was somewhat disappointing for star Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino.
Marino was still a productive and heady passer, completing 59.2% of his throws for 3,245 yards and 26 touchdowns against just 13 interceptions.
He finished third in the passing title race, 142 yards shy of St. Louis’ Neil Lomax.
Furthermore, Marino continued to sidestep sacks at an impressive rate, leading the NFL in sack percentage (2.0%) for the fifth straight time to start his career.
Simply put, Marino was pretty great.
However, it just wasn’t enough to move the needle for an 8-7 Dolphins team that missed the postseason for the second straight year.
A stacked talent pool at quarterback knocked Marino out of the All-Pro conversation for the first time.
And despite leading the #1 passing offense in the league, he couldn’t counterbalance glaring issues on the other side of the ball.
Miami finished third-worst in total defense in 1987, squandering Marino’s heroics and costing him a valuable chance at a January run.
- #10
1987 Topps #31 John Elway
PSA 10 Value $125Total PSA Population 1,472PSA 10 Population 202PSA 10 Grade Rate 13.7% (Set Avg: 19.9%)Before he finally won the big one (twice) late in his career, the book on John Elway was much different.
Consider his 1987 NFL MVP season, for example.
Elway was arguably the game’s most dangerous big-play QB in the regular season, finishing the year with a 54.6% completion percentage, 3198 yards passing, and 19 touchdowns against 12 interceptions.
With an NFL-best 7.12 net yards per passing attempt, no other passer moved the chains in long-yardage situations as Elway did.
And with 66 rushes for 304 yards and four touchdowns, his ability to test the defense as a runner made him even more valuable.
Outlasting San Francisco’s Joe Montana and Jerry Rice in a tight awards race, the 27-year-old star earned his second Pro Bowl appearance and the All-Pro Second Team honors.
But could he lead the AFC West champs to a Super Bowl title?
After solid performances in playoff wins over the Houston Oilers (34-10) and Cleveland Browns (38-33), Elway fell apart in Super Bowl XXII against the Redskins.
Hounded all night long by a ruthless Washington pass rush, Elway finished just 14 of 38 for 257 yards, a touchdown, three picks, and five sacks.
On the strength of a historic 35-point second quarter, Washington obliterated Denver 42-10 and sent Elway home yet again without a ring to his name.
- #11
1987 Topps #125 Charles Haley Rookie Card
Rookie CardPSA 10 Value $125Total PSA Population 1,791PSA 10 Population 284PSA 10 Grade Rate 15.9% (Set Avg: 19.9%)An NFL All-Rookie performer in 1986 as a stalwart of San Francisco’s 3-4 defensive formation, Charles Haley was tasked with a different role in his sophomore season.
Rather than bringing him in as a base linebacker, 49ers defensive coordinator George Seifert used Haley as a designated pass rusher in 1987.
One of the speediest young linebackers in the game, Haley’s explosiveness made him a dangerous blitzing threat.
However, he had yet to develop into a consistent run defender.
Thus, Seifert relegated Haley to a pass-rushing specialiSt. And while his stats might say otherwise, Haley was very good (if not great) in his limited role.
He finished the year with 25 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and a forced fumble, wreaking havoc and creating consistent pressure from the linebacker spot.
Overall, San Francisco finished #1 in total defense, #1 in passing defense, #1 in passing touchdowns allowed, and #2 in net yards allowed per passing attempt.
George Seifert’s genius as a defensive planner shone through all year long.
And that included maximizing the best of Charles Haley in 1987 while minimizing his deficiencies against the run.
- #12
1987 Topps #384 Steve Young
PSA 10 Value $100Total PSA Population 1,453PSA 10 Population 120PSA 10 Grade Rate 8.3% (Set Avg: 19.9%)As the highest-profile backup quarterback in the NFL from 1987-90, Steve Young earned his keep in relief of the legendary Joe Montana.
Young was absolutely electric in his first year behind Montana on the 49ers’ depth chart.
He played in parts of eight regular-season games in 1987 (starting three), hitting on 53.6% of his 69 pass attempts for 570 yards and ten touchdowns against zero interceptions.
After subbing for an injured Montana in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears, Young threw four touchdown passes out of just nine completions to push San Francisco to an emphatic 41-0 shutout win.
And when the 49ers needed his considerable talents as a runner, Young stepped forward with gusto.
The 26-year-old QB rushed 26 times in 1987 for 190 yards and a TD.
There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Montana was the #1 QB of both the present and the foreseeable future.
Yet, Young was a heck of a luxury to have.
After Montana struggled in the first half of the team’s NFC Divisional Round loss to Minnesota, Young picked him up admirably, completing 12 of 17 throws for 158 yards, one touchdown, and one pick in his first playoff appearance.
Ross’s Take
One of the most interesting things about this set is that, while there are three Hall of Fame rookie cards (Jim Kelly, Gary Zimmerman, and Charles Haley) in the checklist, none are more valuable than the Randall Cunningham rookie.
That says a lot about how popular Cunningham was and still is.
At the same time, it also speaks to how this set sometimes flies under the hobby radar compared to other football sets of the 1980s.
Still, for any football card collector of that era, there are plenty of must-have cards within this 396-card checkliSt. The rookie card lineup is solid, and there are loads of stars and Hall of Famers to spark a nostalgic flashback to an era filled with fantastic football memories.
As far as subsets go, there are just two: Record Breakers (#2 – 8) League Leaders (#227 – 231) Most collectors wouldn’t label this their favorite football card set of the 1980s because of the rookie card lineup or infamous design layouts of the others.
Still, for any collector simply looking for cards of some of their favorite Hall of Famers and stars of the day, this set certainly delivers.
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