The latest edition of the popular Madden video game series is on the horizon, and EA Sports recently released the ratings for all NFL players.
Perhaps due to a lack of real sports to discuss, fans and players across the league seem to be even less happy with the rankings than usual.
Here are 10 players who were rated too generously or harshly:
Rated too low
Kyler Murray – 77 overall (QB21)
The quarterbacks were apparently classified on one of the toughest corners. Only five landed in the 1990s, and only three others had an overall rating between 86 and 89. This has created an overloaded “middle class” of 13 rated holders between 77 and 84 overall, and Murray is tied for the bottom of that group. The Arizona Cardinals’ quarterback rating is so low that he thought it was a joke. Murray, who finished 15th in the QBR as a rookie and now has one of the best NFL receivers available to him at DeAndre Hopkins, appears poised to be the next second-year quarterback sensation, and could make his qualification in the 70s look silly.
TJ Watt – 86 overall (OLB7)
Watt’s younger brother has apparently been the victim of Madden’s insistence on separating pass runners into outside linebackers and defensive ends rather than simply evaluating them all under the EDGE label. Watt has accumulated the fifth-most sacks (34.5) since joining the league in 2017, and last season, he was a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year after producing 14.5 sacks and eight forced fumbles. Watt deserves to be closer to people like Cameron Jordan (96 overall) and Chandler Jones (95 overall) than Dee Ford and Justin Houston (both 85 overall).
DK Metcalf – 79 overall (WR54)
Another sophomore Madden apparently wants to see more of is Metcalf, who had 900 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie and often made defenders look like children with his rare combination of speed, size and strength. The young Seattle Seahawks’ receiving yards total ranked 28th among wide receivers and his 15.5 yards per catch at 13th place. So how can Metcalf qualify behind another 53 widths and tie with players like Dede Westbrook, Devin Funchess and Mohamed Sanu? Elsewhere, Terry McLaurin, who had 19 more yards than Metcalf as a rookie, has an overall rating of 82, while Marquise Brown, who produced 584 yards in his first year, scored 80.
Deshaun Watson – 86 overall (QB8)
If you were to ask an NFL fan room which are the top three quarterbacks under the age of 25, we’d bet the vast majority would say Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Watson. In fact, many people would likely have the same answer regardless of age. Mahomes and Jackson, of course, are MVP winners, and the Kansas City Chiefs star has a Super Bowl title. But while Watson still doesn’t have the accolades, he has proven to be an elite talent for three seasons. The Houston Texans quarterback is far behind Mahomes (99 overall) and Jackson (94 overall). It seems that nostalgia for the old guard is still powerful as Watson also follows Drew Brees (93 overall), Tom Brady (90 overall), Aaron Rodgers (89 overall) and Matt Ryan (87 overall).
Darius Leonard – 85 overall (OLB8)
In 2018, Leonard did not make the Pro Bowl despite winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year and leading the NFL in tackles. This was largely due to the NFL failing to distinguish between outside linebackers off the ball and outside linebackers rushing to pass, meaning Leonard had to compete for votes with leading runners. A similar problem occurs with Madden’s ratings. Despite having a role similar to that of top middle linebackers Bobby Wagner (98 overall) and Lavonte David (90 overall), the Indianapolis Colts standout is in a positional group led by Khalil Mack (97 overall) and Von Miller (97 overall). Although not yet at Wagner’s level, Leonard earned All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons and is more than just a tackle machine, having accumulated seven interceptions and 12 sacks in his short career.
Rated too high
JJ Watt – 98 overall (DE2)
It appears that Madden gave Watt the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award with his overall rating of 98, which tied him with five other players for the second highest rating. When the Houston Texans star is healthy, few can match his impact on the defensive side of the ball. But Watt has only played in 16 games once in the past four seasons. To be fair, he was almost as good in 2018 as he was during his three Defensive Player of the Year campaigns, but at 31, Watt’s best days are certainly behind him. He is closer to the pack than Aaron Donald (99 overall), and he certainly doesn’t deserve to be 12 points taller than his younger brother, TJ, who is on the cusp of his prime.
Christian McCaffrey – 99 overall (RB1)
McCaffrey comes from an outstanding season in which he became the third player in NFL history to produce 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards. He deserves his place among the highest rated players. Our problem with McCaffrey as part of the 99-man five-man rating club is primarily due to the huge gap he creates between the Carolina Panthers star and other elite running backs. Derrick Henry (93 overall) is closest to McCaffrey, and only five other riders: Ezekiel Elliott (92 overall), Nick Chubb (92 overall), Saquon Barkley (91 overall), Dalvin Cook (91 overall ) and Aaron Jones (90 overall) – were rated 90 or above. McCaffrey has a strong argument for being the best running back in the league, but it’s a lot more argument than Madden’s ratings suggest.
Amari Cooper – 93 overall (WR6)
With as much talent as a catcher in the entire league, you could say that 20 scorers could be in the top 10. While Cooper is certainly one of them, the Dallas Cowboys star, who has never exceeded 1,200 yards or 85 catches, He doesn’t deserve to be rated above more productive receivers like Mike Evans (92 overall) and Chris Godwin (88 total). While many believe Odell Beckham Jr. (91 overall) is no longer at his best, he and Cooper still had the same production in 2019. It looks like Cooper may have gotten a boost for the star on the side of his helmet.
Rob Gronkowski – 95 overall (TE3)
Gronkowski is a future Hall of Fame member and widely recognized as one of the best close ends of all time, if not the best. But Gronkowski, who retired for the 2019 campaign after years of injury struggles before returning to join Tom Brady with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has not been that type in some seasons. While it may be fair to argue that he deserves to be the third tight end behind George Kittle (98 overall) and Travis Kelce (97 overall) based solely on talent, Gronkowski definitely does not deserve his overall rating, as well as a place among 25 top rated players.
Kyle Van Noy – 86 overall (OLB6)
Van Noy is a solid linebacker who thrived with the Patriots under defensive genius Bill Belichick. The Miami Dolphins rewarded the veteran by signing a four-year, $ 51 million contract in previous free agency. But it appears that his recent windfall, in addition to being part of a recent Super Bowl-winning defense, has inflated Van Noy’s reputation beyond his talent level. In 2019, Van Noy had a personal record of 6.5 sacks, but only produced 56 total tackles with zero interceptions. Marshon Lattimore, TJ Watt, Deion Jones, Denzel Ward and Arik Armstead are among the defensive players who received the same rating as Van Noy but who deserved to be higher.
