NFLNFL Chicago Bears Trading Cards1975–1987Hall of Fame · 1993

Walter Payton

Walter Payton on the wall — for the Bears fan who knows what Sweetness means.

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Chicago Bears All Time Greats Legends Plaque 8 Cards Walter Payton Gale Sayers Butkus Ditka

Career snapshot

Rushing: 16,726 YDS · 110 TD · 4.4 YPC · 492 REC

Accolades

★ Super Bowl XX champion (Chicago Bears, 1985 season)

★ Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1993, first ballot)

★ 1977 NFL MVP · 1977 Offensive Player of the Year

★ 16,726 career rushing yards — NFL record from 1984 until Emmitt Smith broke it in 2002

★ 275 rushing yards on Nov 20, 1977 — NFL single-game record until Corey Dillon broke it in 2000

★ 9× Pro Bowler · 5× First-Team All-Pro

★ NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award named in his honor (1999)

★ NFL 1980s All-Decade Team · NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team

The card collector's view

1976 Topps #148 is Payton’s rookie card and one of the most iconic football rookies of any era — a high-grade copy is the cornerstone of any Bears collection. The 1977 Topps and 1978 Topps flagship cards anchor his MVP-era pieces. For premium collectors, his Panini National Treasures patch-autographs and 1985 Bears Super Bowl-era jersey relics provide the high-end memorabilia options.

About Walter Payton at FreshDCards

Walter Payton retired in 1987 with 16,726 rushing yards, an NFL record that stood until Emmitt Smith broke it in 2002. Sweetness spent his entire 13-year career in Chicago, won Super Bowl XX, took home the 1977 NFL MVP, and made nine Pro Bowls. His 275 rushing yards on November 20, 1977 against the Vikings stood as the NFL single-game record for 23 years. He died in 1999 at age 45 from a rare liver disease, and the NFL’s Man of the Year award has carried his name ever since.