One of the most important things in a sports video game is a player's ratings. The combination of his attributes, and the more similar they are to real life, makes the gaming experience that much better. Madden NFL is no exception because while gameplay is the most important thing, fans are always on the lookout for ratings.
Recently, the Madden NFL 23 ratings were revealed, but unfortunately, some ratings don't make sense at all. Some players are valued way too high, while others were disrespected with a very low rating, and specific attributes, such as speed and strength, are totally disproportionate. So, without further ado, let's take a look at 10 Madden NFL 23 player ratings that EA got wrong.
10 Davante Adams (99)
Davante Adams is undoubtedly one of the best wide receivers in the NFL right now, but does he really deserve a 99 rating? Last season, Adams recorded 1553 receiving yards, with a 72.8 catch percentage, 123 receptions and 11 touchdowns, receiving from none other than Aaron Rodgers.
Those are impressive numbers, but Cooper Kupp was much better than Adams in each of those departments, and Kupp has an overall rating of 98. Kupp should be about three or four points above Adams Kupp should be a 99, and Adams a 96.
9 Nick Chubb (96)
Cleveland Browns 26-year-old running back Nick Chubb has a 96 rating on Madden NFL 23, but frankly that's too much. Chubb doesn't look like he's even reached his peak, and he's not among the top three running backs in the league, unlike what the ratings tell us.
In the video game, Chubb is second only to Derrick Henry, who has a 97 rating. Jonathan Taylor was by far the best running back last season, and he has a 95 rating, which is right, but for some inexplicable reason Nick Chubb has a higher rating than Taylor. Chubb should have a rating between 90 and 92.
8 Aaron Rodgers (96)
Speaking of Aaron Rodgers, EA got wrong his rating as well. Rodgers is one of five players to win back-to-back NFL MVP awards, but apparently that’s not enough to be the best player in the game, and not even the best quarterback, as Tom Brady has a 97 overall rating.
Aaron Rodgers has been playing on another level, he puts on a great performance week in and week out for the last two seasons, with an insane passer rating of 116.7, 85 touchdown passes, and just nine interceptions.
7 DeAndre Hopkins (96)
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins played in 10 games last season, recording 42 receptions, 572 receiving yards, a 65.6 catch percentage, and eight touchdowns. Somehow, that gives him a 96 rating, which makes no sense.
There is no doubt that Hopkins is an excellent player, but a 96 rating should be for elite players, and Hopkins just isn't right now. Considering Justin Jefferson has a 93 overall rating, DeAndre Hopkins’ rating is simply wrong.
6 TJ Watt (96)
Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald are not only the best edge rushers in Madden NFL 23 but the best players, with a 99 rating. Maybe that's fine, as both are monsters, but what about defensive player of the year TJ Watt? The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker had a magnificent season, recording 22.5 sacks (third most all-time), with 48 solo tackles and five forced fumbles. TJ Watt deserved a 99 rating as well.
5 Stefon Diggs (95)
Stefon Diggs has never been an elite player, certainly he was a receiving yards leader in the 2020 season, but it appears that was his peak and he won't have another campaign like that. Diggs was an above average receiver last season, but with 72.1 yards per game, 11.9 yards per reception, 62.8% catch percentage and 10 touchdowns, he doesn't deserve a 95 overall rating by any means.
4 Amari Cooper (90)
It's hard to believe that Amari Cooper has a 90 rating, considering he was never an outstanding wide receiver, much less today. Cooper is coming off a lackluster season with the Dallas Cowboys; in 15 games, he caught 68 passes for 865 yards, a 65.4 catch percentage and eight touchdowns. Amari Cooper is not the worst receiver out there, but not just anyone should receive a 90-point rating.
3 Christian McCaffrey (96)
It seems that anyone can have a rating over 90 points in Madden NFL 23, as the fact that Christian McCaffrey has a rating of 96 is absurd. Certainly, he had a memorable 2019 season, but due to injuries he's only been able to play 10 games in the last two years, and frankly his performance hasn't been that special. It's understandable that McCaffrey is almost a two-way player, rushing and receiving in epic fashion, and that boosts his overall rating, but 96 is definitely overrated.
2 Matthew Stafford (85)
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Believe it or not, the quarterback who led the Los Angeles Rams to a Super Bowl victory has just an 85 overall rating. Matthew Stafford killed the playoffs, with a 108.3 rating and 297 yards per game.
In the regular season he was also amazing, recording 41 touchdown passes, 4,886 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 102.9. Those are enough merits to have a rating over 90 points, but who knows why EA decided to make Stafford a player of the bunch.
1 Kirk Cousins (80)
Talking about disrespect for veteran quarterbacks, we have to mention Kirk Cousins’ 80 rating for Madden NFL 23. Last season, Cousins completed 372 passes for 4,221 yards, with a 66.3 pass completion percentage, 33 touchdown passes and a 103.1 rating, and a 115 rating.
It's worth mentioning that Cousins had over 4,000 passing yards in six of his last seven seasons. So, how on earth is Kirk Cousins under 85? His rating could easily be 87 or 88.