While football is easily the most prominent sport in America, football cards lag behind baseball and basketball cards in popularity. That means that there are deals to be had on some top-notch cards. Here are some you may want to look into adding to your collection.

1986 Topps Jerry Rice 

Image via PSA

Jerry Rice is widely considered to be the greatest wide receiver in NFL history; collectors who grew up watching him play are eager to add this Topps rookie card to their collections. While PSA has graded more than 30,000 examples of the card, the green border makes it hard to find in great condition.

A collector can purchase a PSA 8 copy of the legendary 49er's first card for around $225. PSA 9's are rare with only 1,055 in the census, and they will run between $1,800 and $2,200. There are only 55 PSA 10's and one recently sold for $75,000, so that is out of most people's price range.

1998 Topps Chrome Peyton Manning 

Image via Ebay

For many years, fans debated who was better; Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. Brady has now put that debate to bed and as such, the legendary quarterback's rookie cards are quite expensive. Manning cards, though, can still be had at a decent price.

One good example is the Colt icon's 1998 Topps Chrome rookie card. A PSA 9 copy can be found on eBay for less than $150. Even a PSA 10 copy can be had for under $600. For reference, PSA 9 copies of Tom Brady's 2000 Bowman Chrome rookie card routinely sell for more than $3,000.  Rarer refractor editions of the Manning rookie card are also available, though they are more expensive.

1976 Topps Walter Payton 

Image via PSA

When it comes to football card collection, quarterbacks will always be king. Acquiring the cards of star running backs, though, comes in at a close second. And there have been few running backs more admired than Chicago Bears superstar Walter Payton.

Payton retired in 1987 and at the time, held nearly every NFL rushing record. The revered player died in 1999 at the age of 46, and the league's highest service award is named in his honor. His 1976 Topps rookie card is highly sought after. A PSA 8 copy can be had for around $1,000, and a PSA 9 comes in at around $5,000.

1965 Topps Joe Namath 

Image via PWCC

Unlike the other cards on the list, this one is going to cost you at least $1,000 to even get a poorly graded copy. But it also represents a shrewd investment for the collector with a little more to spend.

Joe Namath, an icon in the 1960s, remains an enormously popular figure in the collecting world. His 1965 Topps rookie was also short-printed, meaning supply doesn't always meet demand. And the tall boy fashion of the card made keeping it in good condition difficult.

For a PSA 3, collectors can expect to spend $3,000 or $4,000. A PSA 7 Namath rookie normally sells for between $15,000 and $20,000.

2020 Panini Prizm Joe Burrow 

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Fans who wanted to buy up cards of Pat Mahomes or Josh Allen are a little too late to the party. There is another young QB, though, whose cards are still affordable; Joe Burrow.

Burrow played in his first Super Bowl last year, with the Bengals falling to the Los Angeles Rams. The Cincinnati QB has taken another step forward and could receive MVP votes. Despite his success on the field, Burrow's 2020 Panini Prizm rookie card in a PSA 10 could still be had for between $250-$300.

*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.