It is just a week until the NFL teams begin training camps. After a brief hiatus, football is back in the minds of sports fans – if it ever truly left. It’s time to get ready for Madden 2. This year’s Madden game will be released on Aug. 19. It is slightly different.
John Madden (Hall of Fame coach), who died Dec. 28, 2021, was the series’ namesake. EA Sports also took over the franchise’s management. decision to put Madden on the coverThis year, the game is filled with a sense that there’s a legacy. Madden had always wanted the game about football and to be as close as possible to the actual sport he loved to teach, coach, and talk about. Madden was the one who advocated for the game to be 11-on-11 from the beginning. He was involved in all aspects of the game until his death.
Certain aspects of the game stood out more as it grew in American culture’s zeitgeist. Ratings are important to players. They will often complain on social media about how they are rated and sometimes ask the person doing it. Madden’s entire staff is dedicated to changing ratings throughout the calendar year. It’s huge.
With that in mind, here is a breakdown of the initial ratings at launch of Madden 23The annual 99 club is an honor that has made the sport a worldwide phenomenon. Each day, we’ll be releasing more positions:
Wide receivers
1. Davante Adams, Raiders: 99
2. Cooper Kupp, Rams: 98
3. Tyreek Hill, Dolphins: 97
4. DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals: 96
5. Stefon Diggs, Bills: 95
6. Justin Jefferson, Vikings: 93
7. Mike Evans, Buccaneer: 92
T-8. Terry McLaurin, Commanders: 91
T-8. Keenan Allen, Chargers: 91
10. Amari Cooper, Browns: 90
Launched last year, but dropped out of the launch: Julio Jones (No. 5), Allen Robinson II (No. 10)
Receivers have been the most significant boost to real life for any group of players this offseason. Once Christian Kirk The Jacksonville contract, which was for a four-year, $72million, seemed to have set off an explosion in money going to the top players at the position. In many ways, it made receiver an important position in the NFL, alongside quarterback, left tackle and edge rusher. Madden’s ratings show how talented and rich receivers are.
It is one of three groups in which the entire top 10 have a rating of at least 90. As many as five receivers could be considered the best in the game.
Adams has been traded from the Packers to Raiders but his status as top receiver in this game, and in the 99 club at the launch, remains the same. Adams’s performance last year was remarkable, as he was a 94 overall receiver at Madden 21’s launch.
There is significant movement behind Adams. Hopkins’s ranking dropped from 98 down to 96 and from 2nd to 4th. He was replaced at No. Kupp is now No. 2. He went from being outside the top 10 last year to a total of 98 after a 145-catch season, 1,947 yards, and 16-touchdown season. Kupp’s sudden emergence has pushed a lot players to the bottom at least one place.
Tight ends
1. Travis Kelce, Chiefs: 98
2. George Kittle, 49ers: 97
3. Mark Andrews, Ravens: 93
4. Darren Waller, Raiders: 91
5. T.J. HockensonLions, 89
6. Kyle Pitts, Falcons: 87
7. Mike Gesicki, Dolphins: 86
8. Dallas Goedert, Eagles: 85
T-9. Zach Ertz, Cardinals: 84
T-9. Hunter Henry, Patriots: 84
Dropped out Austin Hooper (No. 6), Rob Gronkowski (No. 7)
The man at the top is the same for a position that grows in importance and scope on the field. Kelce has remained the No. 1 player despite not being a member in good standing of the 99 club. He is currently the No. 1 player with a 98 rating. The list behind him, with the exception of one player, isn’t all that long.
Kittle, a fellow Tight End University veteran, is Kelce’s greatest competition. Kittle is the No. Kittle is the No. 2 tight end this season. He is now a 97 overall. This is up from 96 last summer. Then comes a drop. Andrews (93 overall), moves to the 90s and becomes No. 4 to No. 3. Waller drops to No. 3 to No. 4 and from an average of 93 to 91 last year.
Then, the big moves begin. Hockenson, one of the best young tight ends in the game, is now No. 5 in the league and an 89 overall, after previously being No. 9 and 85 respectively last season. Pitts, who had the best rookie tight end season in 2021 with 68 catches, 1,026 yards and was now No. 6 with an 87. Gesicki slightly increases from No. 8 to No. 7, and from an 85-86 to an 86. Goedert made similar moves starting at No. 10 to No. 8 and 84 to 85. Ertz, who is one of the league’s most consistent tight ends, has made a huge leap from an 80 overall score to an 84. He now ranks in the Top 10 at No. 9.