The NFL, EA Sports, and ESPN certainly capitalized on the lull in NFL news this time of year with their week-long reveal of Madden 24’s player ratings.
Every year, the long-tenured, ultra-popular football video game assigns each and every NFL player an overall rating based on a variety of attributes. And without fail, every year, this sparks controversy amongst the NFL’s global fanbase.
That’s because players wind up being overrated or underrated in relation to their peers. Today we’ll try to identify some of the biggest names who best fit that bill.
Biggest Surprises From the Madden NFL 24 Player Ratings
Let’s start with the ‘99 Club.’ The honorees were, for the most part, relatively unsurprising. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes received a one-point bump and joined his teammate, tight end Travis Kelce, in the illustrious top tier. Another pass catcher, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, ascended into that rarefied air after an unstoppable 2022 season.
The somewhat nationally unheralded Dallas Cowboys offensive guard Zack Martin got his virtual roses after nearly a decade of trench warfare. He was joined by another returnee in Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Tough to argue with any one of the five’s inclusion. But if anyone bears scrutinizing, this year at least, it’s Aaron Donald (and I’m not just saying that cause I incorrectly predicted his exclusion). Don’t get it twisted, Donald is a transcendent talent and is as fearsome a pass rusher as the interior defensive line has ever seen. With 103 career sacks and three Defensive Player of the Year awards, he’s proven that.
However, Donald had a career-worst 2022 season. He missed six games due to injury and had a career-low five sacks in 11 games. That put him on pace for 7.5 in a full season, a number that would likewise be a career low.
Of course, he’s earned his reputation. But nonetheless, it feels like number 99’s inclusion is based more on past production than what he’s accomplished of late.
Another surprising rating was the one bestowed upon Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson. Where Donald got the benefit of the doubt, Wilson got the shaft. Admittedly, Wilson had an abysmal 2022 season. But getting demoted to a 77 overall, 18th among quarterbacks, was definitely further than most likely anticipated.
The nine-time Pro Bowler has a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 308-to-98 and was given an 87 overall rating in Madden 23. Admittedly he had a career-worst season, and a bounce-back is no certainty. But his strong 10-year resume and relative youth at 34 still warrant an overall of 80 or higher. Instead, he’s behind his former backup Geno Smith and the oft-criticized Kyler Murray.
We’ll pivot once more to another player who seemingly benefited from his lofty reputation: Tennessee Titans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. With a 93 overall, the man known as “Nuk” is sandwiched between several recently prolific receivers.
Hopkins is just behind Ja’Marr Chase (94) and ahead of Terry McLaurin (92), A.J. Brown (91), and Amari Cooper (91). Each of that trio has been more productive in the last two seasons than Hopkins. In fact, Hopkins’ two-year total of 1,289 receiving yards is less than the 1,496 yards Brown racked up last year alone.
What Did Madden Get Completely Wrong?
We’ll start with a player the casual NFL fan might not be totally familiar with, and apparently, neither was EA when they rated him: Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Alex Highsmith. Highsmith amassed 14.5 sacks last season, which recently earned him a handsome four-year, $68 million extension.
Despite his breakout year, Highsmith’s overall rating is a measly 82. Highsmith is (in some cases far) behind several pass rushers he out-produced last season, a list that includes Randy Gregory (two sacks last season), Jaelan Phillips (seven sacks), Josh Allen (seven sacks), and Rashan Gary (six sacks).
Another player whose rating feels too low, though perhaps not as egregiously, is Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. With an 89 overall, Ekeler is sixth among running backs. However, there’s a four-point gap between him and fifth-ranked Saquon Barkley (93). That wide berth suggests a fairly significant difference between Ekeler and the true upper tier at the position.
Sure, Ekeler’s never been a 1,000-yard rusher, but he more than makes up for it with his contributions in the receiving game. The Chargers star totaled well over 1,500 scrimmage yards and double-digit touchdowns in three of the last four seasons, production every bit on par with Barkley’s, if not better.
Another extremely questionable rating was that of Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart. The 29-year-old had a career-best 70 tackles and four sacks in 2022. His performance earned him an 85 overall in Madden 24, good for ninth-best among defensive tackles.
Stewart is a solid player and especially stout against the run, but he’s not a top-10 interior lineman in football. Slotting him ahead of proven Pro Bowl performers like San Francisco’s Javon Hargrave (60 tackles, 11 sacks in ’22) and Washington’s Daron Payne (64 tackles, 11.5 sacks) feels like an overstep.
When Does Madden 24 Come Out?
Madden 24 will be released for purchase on all major platforms on Friday, August 18. However, those who pre-order the deluxe edition of the game will enjoy the added bonus of three days of early access beginning on Tuesday, August 15.