Joe Montana
The Hall of Fame quarterback who finished his career in Kansas City — a collector's guide to Joe Montana's Chiefs-era cards, his famous rookie, and what makes his 1993-1994 KC cardboard a distinctive niche for Chiefs collectors.
- Position
- Quarterback
- Team
- Kansas City Chiefs
- NFL Debut
- 1979
- Rookie Card
- 1981
Shop Joe Montana cards on eBay
Live listings — singles, rookies, and graded slabs, updated by the second on eBay.
Joe Montana is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history — a four-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Super Bowl MVP, and first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. For most of the hobby, “Joe Montana” means the San Francisco 49ers. But for Kansas City collectors, there’s a special chapter: after a trade in 1993, Montana finished his career as a Chief, playing the 1993 and 1994 seasons in KC and leading the team to the AFC Championship Game in his first year in red.
That short but electric two-year run is what makes Montana a genuine — and often overlooked — Chiefs collectible.
What to collect
There are really two Montana markets, and it’s worth knowing which one you’re shopping:
- His 49ers cards — the famous early-1980s rookie and his San Francisco-era issues are blue-chip cardboard, among the most iconic in the entire football hobby. In high grade they command serious money.
- His Chiefs cards — the 1993 and 1994 issues that picture Montana in a Chiefs uniform are the KC-specific niche. They come from that era’s major football products, they’re far more affordable than his rookie, and they’re the pieces that belong in a true Kansas City legends collection.
For a Chiefs-focused collector, the 1993-94 Montana-in-red cards are the headline target. Rather than chase a specific card number here, use the live eBay rails on this page — they surface the actual Joe Montana cards for sale right now, including his Chiefs-era issues, graded slabs, and lots.
Buying tips
- For his rookie and other high-value 49ers cards, buy graded (PSA, SGC, or BGS) copies only — condition sensitivity and counterfeiting risk are both high at those price points.
- His Chiefs-era cards come from the high-print-run early-1990s, so condition and centering separate a common copy from a premium one. A clean, well-centered graded example is the one to hold.
- Watch for reprints and unlicensed “custom” cards — buy from sellers with strong feedback and clear photos of the actual card.
Montana and the Chiefs’ quarterback lineage
Montana’s brief KC stint connects two eras of Chiefs quarterback history. He followed in the line of Super Bowl IV MVP Len Dawson, and decades later the franchise found its modern superstar in Patrick Mahomes — today the most in-demand quarterback in the hobby. If you’re building a Kansas City collection, Montana sits alongside the franchise’s other Hall of Fame greats like Derrick Thomas and the broader Chiefs legends core.
For more on the players and cards that define the franchise, see our guide to the best Kansas City Chiefs cards to collect and the full Kansas City Chiefs team hub.