Montana SB jersey breaks Brady’s auction record

The jersey worn by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana in not one, but two Super Bowl victories by the San Francisco 49ers has sold for $1.212 million with buyer’s premium, obliterating the record paid for a football jersey at auction.

The jersey was brokered through collectibles marketplace Goldin. The previous record was the $480,000 paid for a 2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tom Brady jersey in January 2022 — also brokered by Goldin.

Montana first wore the now record-breaking jersey in Super Bowl XIX, in which the Niners defeated the Miami Dolphins 38-16, and then four years later in Super Bowl XXIII, in which Montana engineered a game-winning 92-yard drive — famously known as “The Drive” — to lead the Niners past the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16.

The morning of the latter Super Bowl, Montana’s wife, Jennifer, pulled the jersey from a scrapbook and packed it in Joe’s stadium bag with a note: “Maybe you want to wear it again.” So he did.

Montana’s jersey from Super Bowl XXIV — still the widest margin of victory in Super Bowl history at 55-10 in favor of the 49ers over the Denver Broncos — also sold for $720,000 just after midnight into Thursday.

“It’s only right that the two greatest quarterbacks of all-time are still trading off records, even in retirement,” Ken Goldin, founder of the eponymous marketplace, said in a statement. “Montana was already in rarefied air with four championship rings and three Super Bowl MVPs — [and] with the record-breaking sale of his Super Bowl XXIII jersey, Montana has surpassed Tom Brady on top of that mountain.”

The jersey sale was part of a month-long auction of Montana’s personal memorabilia collection, which included letters of authenticity from Montana himself and/or outside authenticators.

Among the items in that collection included (all figures including buyer’s premium):

• Montana’s uniform worn in his final played game with the 49ers ($232,800) and a signed helmet from his final game with the team, which he didn’t play ($121,200)

• The ball from his final San Francisco touchdown pass ($43,214)

• His signed Kansas City Chiefs uniform from his final NFL game ($92,400)

• Montana’s high school jersey ($36,000)

• His Pro Football Hall of Fame jacket ($36,000) and bust ($14,401)

• His “twice-signed, inscribed” Super Bowl XXIII “Last Drive” playbook ($10,200)

The sold items in the 94-lot auction, including Montana’s game used and signed Notre Dame helmet from the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 1979, brought in more than $3.7 million.