Eli Manning was named one of 167 modern-era nominees for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 on September 18. Manning is in his first year of eligibility, joining Jim Plunkett as the two starting quarterbacks with two Super Bowl rings who are not yet in the Hall of Fame.
But unlike Plunkett, Manning is a favorite to be elected and inducted – leaving Plunkett alone among two-time Super Bowl winners.
What are Plunkett’s credentials, and what would be the effects of a Hall of Fame induction on his rookie card numbers and prices?
Plunkett’s Career Achievements
At his retirement, Plunkett ranked 20th all-time in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and completions. Those weren’t jaw-dropping numbers, but he did this despite throwing 15 passes for the 1978 and 1979 seasons combined as Ken “Snake” Stabler’s backup.
Plunkett’s two Super Bowl titles come with eight playoff victories that rank 18th all-time, tied with Eli Manning, Dan Marino, and Steve Young.
Then there are the the intangibles. Plunkett was the first Latino quarterback to start in a Super Bowl, leading the Raiders to a championship in Super Bowl XV while being named Super Bowl MVP. He was also AFC Rookie of the Year in 1971 and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1980. While not a part of his professional resume, Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy in 1970.
Plunkett would become the 11th Heisman Trophy winner in the Hall of Fame and just the fifth to win a Super Bowl MVP.
His first several seasons with generally woeful teams in New England and San Francisco may be what’s holding him back.
Senior Player Nominees
In early September, Plunkett was named a nominee for the Seniors Screening Committee along with 182 other players. In the coming weeks, the list will be shortened to 50 players. The Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee will recommend three finalists for induction.
Last year, Steve McMichael, Randy Gradishar, and Art Powell were the Senior finalists. McMichael and Gradishar were ultimately voted in.
Other notable Senior quarterback nominees include Ken Anderson, Charlie Conerly, Roman Gabriel, and Phil Simms.
“It would be nice, but I don’t lose any sleep over it,” Plunkett told KTVU in San Francisco last month. “I did what I did…I would like to be in the Hall of Fame, but whether I get in or not, it’s out of my hands. Maybe the first 10 years were a struggle, but it turned out very well for me with the Raiders. I have no regrets. My whole career could’ve been on the upside, but sometimes it just doesn’t work out that way, but it ended very well,” he said.
What might the market look like if Plunkett were inducted?
Plunkett’s rookie card came out in the 1972 Topps football set (#65). The company took some graphic liberties with a photo taken before the 1971 College All-Star Game to try and turn him into a Patriot. His card is the seventh-most graded card from the ’72 set, with nearly 1,700 submissions. Ten cards have graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA, 122 have been rated Mint 9, 11 carry the 8.5 rating and 433 NM/MT 8 examples have been slabbed.
A Hall of Fame induction would likely see a surge in submissions to the grading services.
Two of the most well-known Hall of Fame rookie cards in the ’72 set are Roger Staubach and John Riggins
Staubach’s card–among the most valuable post-War football cards— has been submitted 5,700 times. Riggins’ card has more than 2,100 submissions. One would expect Plunkett, a quarterback, to surpass the 2,100 submissions from Riggins but not approach Staubach’s numbers.
An increase in supply would hurt price, but an increased demand from Hall of Fame and rookie card collectors would counter it.
It’s likely Plunkett’s other cards might see a slight increase as well, especially graded examples.
A Card Comp?
To get clues on the impact on prices for Plunkett’s rookie card, one might look at the guy Plunkett sat behind for two years – Stabler.
The Alabama product was enshrined in Canton in 2016 after his fourth time as a finalist and 26 years after being first eligible for the Hall of Fame.
Stabler and Plunkett won Super Bowls with the Raiders (Stabler won one), are close in career yards and completions, and finished with more career interceptions than touchdowns.
Stabler’s rookie card is in the 1973 Topps set – just one year removed from Plunkett’s – with more than 2,100 submissions to PSA. His rookie cards in PSA 9 Mint sell for about $1,000, and PSA 8s sell for about $300.
Recent sales for Plunkett’s PSA 9 are between $220 – $230. His PSA 8 card has sold for about $70 on average. Respectable raw copies can usually be had for $10 to $15–sometimes less.
If Plunkett gets voted into the Hall of Fame– a big if– you could reasonably expect his rookie card prices in higher grades should rise by a multiple of 3 to 4.
Comparisons to Manning
Plunkett and Manning played in two different eras, making direct comparisons difficult. But there are some similarities beyond the two Super Bowls. They both compiled .500 records as starting quarterbacks – Plunkett at 72-72 and Manning at 117-117.
Both have the same number of playoff victories and the same career yards per pass attempt at 7.0. Plunkett also has a higher average yards per completion at 13.3 compared to Manning’s 11.6.
Ultimately, both are championship quarterbacks who left their marks on their teams and the NFL. While Manning is destined for the Hall of Fame – a deserved destination – it will leave Plunkett alone on a podium he currently shares with Manning. In some ways, his story and legacy may have a greater audience the longer his career is scrutinized, and he is not in the Hall of Fame.
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