Cards From the Best QBs of the Decade
In the beginning, the forward pass felt like a miracle. The game mostly relied on a rushing attack. Back then, quarterbacks would even swap in and out with other quarterbacks during the game. Then: evolution. Innovators like Johnny Unitas and Y.A. Tittle advanced playbooks and the ball, but in the 1970s, stars like Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, and Joe Namath changed the quarterback position with heroics through the air.
But in the 1980s, fans saw all previous passing records obliterated by a new wave of talent, and around the league, they saw an even greater reliance on a singular franchise QB to change a team’s fate. Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Warren Moon, and other stars created offenses that fans had never conceived of before, all while lowering their shoulder and staying upright in a league that treated the QB like every other player on the field. These were some of the toughest players ever to lace ’em up, and they changed the game forever.
Under center of this prolific passing decade was Topps, immortalizing quarterbacks in some of the most iconic card sets in the company’s history. Decades later, Topps again honored them in the gorgeous Composite Football 2023 set. Below, you’ll find the best QBs of the ’80s and some of their iconic Topps cards you need to add to your collection.
The Top QBs of the 1980s
Loading ...
2023 Topps Composite Football Midnight #305 Jim Kelly
Player info
• second all-time for most yards gained per completion in a single game (44)
• led the league in passing yards in 1991 (3844)
Set info
• 425 base card set
• base cards feature famous topps brand such as Chrome®, midnight, heritage, fallen & Ginter and more
card back
• Name, position, vitals, draft info, card code, and career stats with a writeup about one of his best individual performances
2023 Topps Composite Football Jumbo Swatch Autographs Vertical #CJPAV-WM Warren Moon
Player info
• 1990 offensive player of the year
• 2006 hall of fame inductee
set info
• Jumbo Swatch autos have five parallels
• #CJPAV insert set features 15 players
card back
• Name, position, card code, and a certificate of the signature’s authenticity as witnessed by a topps employee
1975 Topps #367 Dan Fouts
Player info
• Four-time passing yards leader
• in 1979, broke Joe namath’s then passing yards record of 4,007 when he Finished the season with 4,082 yards
Set info
• 528 card set
card back
• vitals, draft info, lifetime career stats up to that point, and a writeup about his two td pro debut and his cumulative college career
1985 Topps Football Record Breaker #4 Dan Marino
Player info
• 1984 mvp
• Holds the record for the Lowest sack percentage in a season: 1.0% (1988)
set info
• 396 total cards
card back
• a writeup of his 48 touchdown 1984 season in which he broke the previous touchdown pass record of 36 tds held by George blanda and y.a. Tittle
2023 Topps Composite Football Resurgence Amped Up Swatch Autographs #RAUPA-JM Joe Montana
Player info
• four-time league champion
• two-time mvp
set info
• 12 auto sets
• #RAUPA set features 26 players with nine parallels
card back
• name, position, and a pledge of authenticity to the signature and gear as witnessed by a topps employee
