Cards From the Best QBs of the Decade
There was no better decade in football for the quarterback position than the 2000s. It was an embarrassment of riches. Looking back, did we even realize that we had – at a bare minimum – three of the greatest quarterbacks ever to live, all playing at once at the top of their games, winning championships, and putting up 5,000-yard campaigns with ease?
Even outside of the Big Three of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees, the players behind them displayed stunning talent and prowess through the air and would, in any other decade, be in the running for the top overall quarterback in the league. Players like Kurt Warner, Ben Roethlisberger, and even Eli Manning made the stats from quarterbacks of the ’80s and ’90s look pedestrian. It was a remarkable era and was delightful to witness.
Of course, Topps was right there, immortalizing these players with some of the era’s most valuable and interesting quarterback rookie cards. And now Topps has again honored a select few of these undeniable greats in the gorgeous Composite Football 2023 and Topps Motif Football sets.
So as we look back at these players, cast your vote – did we get the top five right? Who did we leave out?
The Top QBs of the 2000s
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2023 Topps Motif Football Canvas Champions Autographs #CCA-KUW Kurt Warner /5
Player info
• 1999 and 2001 league MVP
• holds the league record for Highest rate of games with 300+ yards passing (min. 100 games played) – 41.9% (52/124)
Set info
• 100 base card set
• canvas champions autos feature 33 players
card back
• Name, position, CARD CODE, AND A PLEDGE OF THE SIGNATURE’S AUTHENTICITY AS WITNESSED BY A TOPPS EMPLOYEE
2004 Topps Football #311 Ben Roethlisberger RC
Player info
• two-time league champion (2005 and 2008)
• one of only nine quarterbacks to throw for over 5000 yards
set info
• 385 card base set
• 16 insert sets include autos, game breaker relics, and hall of fame autos
card back
• Name, position, draft info, career college stats, and a writeup about Roethlisberger waiting in the wings as tommy maddox’s backup that’s primed for a breakout
2010 Topps Magic Football #44 Drew Brees
Player info
• holds the league record for most 5,000-yard passing seasons (5)
• holds the record for the most consecutive games with a passing td (54)
Set info
• 248 base card set
• 12 insert sets, including rookie stars, magical moments, and autographs triple
card back
• vitals and a recap of Brees and the Saints’ magical 2010 season, in which they won the league championship, as well as an upside-down piece of trivia on how many games Brees lost as a high school QB (0)
2023 Topps Composite Football Midnight #330 Tom Brady
Player info
• one of two starting quarterbacks to win a championship with two teams (Peyton Manning)
• holds just about every passing record in history, including Most career touchdown passes: 649
set info
• 425 card base set broken into ten topps brands including Allen & Ginter, Midnight, Finest, Heritage, and more
card back
• name, vitals team, position, career stats, and a writeup of his heroics under pressure – leading New England on 45 game-winning drives and 36 fourth-quarter comebacks
2023 Topps Composite Football Allen & Ginter #406 Peyton Manning
Player info
• two-time league champion
• five-time league mvp
set info
• manning featured on 7 of 10 base brands
• manning featured on 7 of 14 insert sets
card back
• name, position, card number, and a blurb describing Manning’s second-to-none prowess in throwing touchdowns in the red zone
