What’s up, guys! With the NFL season just five weeks away, it is officially Madden SZN! As is the case every year, players took to Twitter to voice their frustrations with their overall Madden ratings. So today, we’re going to check out the most head-scratching ratings in Madden 22…good and bad. Before we jump in, here is a quick guideline that Madden uses to come up with their player ratings:
- Legacy Award: Year after year Madden gives a bump to players who have been good for a long time. Even though guys like Tom Brady, Patrick Peterson, and Calais Campbell are all well past their primes, Madden gives them sort of a “Legacy Award.” It keeps them at a higher rating than their play on the field would suggest. I actually like this trend, as I think the ratings shouldn’t come down to just what a player did last season.
- Grab my bags, rook: It’s no secret that most NFL Drafts are a complete crapshoot. Every year we see 1st and 2nd round busts, as well as hidden gems in the 5th, 6th, and 7th rounds. In years past, we’ve seen rookies rated in the lower to mid 80’s, but in this year’s game not a single rookie received a rating above an 80. Until we see what these guys can do on an NFL field, Madden is keeping all the rookies in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. This is another tendency that I completely agree with.
- Prove it to me: This rule goes hand in hand with the legacy award. The developers at EA don’t reward higher ratings to “one-year wonders”. Madden keeps one-year breakouts’ ratings low to make sure last year wasn’t just a fluke.
Alright guys, let’s jump right in and take a look at the most egregious ratings in this year’s Madden.
J.J. Watt, LE, Arizona Cardinals
Madden 22 Rating: 94
If J.J. retired today, he would make the Hall of Fame without questions. He’s a member of the 100 sacks club, he won 3 DPOY awards in 4 years, and he’s a 5x All-Pro. However, it’s been no secret that Watt has slowed down in recent years, and he plays virtually every game on a snap count. This stat seems crazy, but Watt has only recorded 26 sacks over the last FIVE seasons due to injuries…that’s 5.2 a year.
Watt comes in as the highest-rated left end in the game at 94, and that is just nonsense. Danielle Hunter, Cam Jordan, and Akiem Hicks are all much better players at this point in their careers, and all deserve to be ranked higher than Watt. J.J. is probably the most dominant defensive player of the 2010s, but c’mon it’s 2022 now. He has to be knocked down a few pegs.
My Rating: 87
A.J. Green, WR, Arizona Cardinals
Madden 22 Rating: 80
I saw a Tik Tok the other day where Cardinals players tried to guess their ratings in Madden 22. A.J. Green was interviewed and said, “I played like s**t last year”…so you know where this is going. Much like his new teammate J.J. Watt, A.J. Green has lost a step, and you can definitely see it on the field. Green had just 694 yards in 2018; he missed all of 2019 and had barely 500 yards last year in Cincinnati. Green was once one of the game’s best receivers, but in 2021 that just isn’t the case anymore. Madden is clearly giving him legacy points with this rating, but let’s be honest he hasn’t had a 1,000-yard receiving season in 4 years. I’m curious to see if he can make an impact with the Cardinals, but he had just a 45% catch rate last year…his rating has to be lowered.
My Rating: 75
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Jack Conklin, RT, Cleveland Browns
Madden 22 Rating: 79
It’s pretty hard to judge offensive linemen because their stats are so limited, but Jack Conklin is one of the better right tackles in the game of football right now. The Browns had the best offensive line in football last year, and Conklin made All-Pro 1st team in 2020. Conklin had a PFF grade of 84.5 on the season, and Chubb/Hunt combined for nearly 2,000 rushing yards last year. Madden’s ratings for right tackles are obviously lower than left tackles because LTs are more important than the right side, but Conklin is a 2x All-Pro; he has to be considered for the low 80s.
My Rating: 83
Josh Jacobs, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Madden 22 Rating: 89
When looking at the rankings for Madden 22, I noticed that a lot of running backs are rated high, and there isn’t a lot of variance between any of them. James Robinson is an 86, Raheem Mostert is an 86, Marlon Mack is an 84. Basically, every starting running back is rated in either the 80s or 90s, and that just shouldn’t be the case. Josh Jacobs is the one RB that stuck out to me as being rated much too high.
Jacobs comes in as the 6th highest-rated running back in Madden 22, and I think the most egregious part of his rating is that he is just 1 point lower than Saquon Barkley, who comes in at a 90. Jacobs averaged just 3.9 yards/carry last year and really isn’t a part of the passing game. I believe most of these halfbacks should be bumped down a few notches, but especially Jacobs. Jacobs shouldn’t be in the same conversation as Kamara/Barkley/Aaron Jones. He’s a fine player, but he just can’t be flirting with a 90 overall.
My Rating: 85
Hunter Henry, TE, New England Patriots
Madden 22 Rating: 87
To be in the high 80s on Madden, you have to be a damn good player, but it seems that Madden has just been giving out high ratings like hotcakes in this year’s game. If you’re a fantasy football player, you know that Kelce/Kittle/Waller are in a tier of their own…then most every other tight end is just somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Hunter Henry comes in ranked as the 5th best tight end in the game, and I just don’t see him in that light. He’s been a pretty solid pro, but in his five seasons in the NFL, he has only eclipsed 650+ yards once, and he gets pushed off his spots often as a blocker. I like Jonnu Smith, Mike Gesicki, and TJ Hockenson a lot more at the position. 87 is just too high.
My Rating: 82
Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
Madden 22 Rating: 79
If you’re a football fan, you know that Kirk Cousins gets more shit online than virtually any player in the NFL today. He is terrible in primetime games, has only won 1 career playoff game, and makes his fair share of boneheaded mistakes. However, Kirk is an above-average starting quarterback. He just is.
Cousins has averaged 31 touchdowns a year during his time in Minnesota, he’s thrown for 4,000+ yards in 5 of his last 6 seasons, and he always has an excellent completion %. Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Derek Carr are all rated above them and I just completely disagree with that. Kirk definitely deserves to be in the low 80’s.
My Rating: 83
Minkah Fitzpatrick, FS, Pittsburgh Steelers
Madden 22 Rating: 89
During the 2019 season, the Dolphins went into full tank mode and and shipped Fitzpatrick off to Pittsburgh for a 1st round pick…I’m sure they would have liked to have that one back. Fitzpatrick is one of my favorite defensive players to watch in the NFL, he’s always around the ball and making plays for that staunch Pittsburgh defense. In his two seasons with the Steelers, Minkah has made the All-Pro 1st team both years and has forced 11 turnovers during that span. Fitzpatrick comes into the game as the 10th highest rated safety in Madden 22 and that is absolutely ludicrous. I would still give the top rating to Tyrann Mathieu because of longevity, but Minkah Fitzpatrick has to be the 2nd highest rated safety in this year’s game. Fitzpatrick just shouldn’t be rated below the likes of Jessie Bates III, Eddie Jackson, or Adrian Amos. I’d bump him up to about a 93 and even that feels like it’s on the low end.
My Rating: 93
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