Joe Montana’s ‘The Drive’ jersey sells for record $1.212 million

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.