10 NFL Players With A Disrespectful Madden Rating

Each new installment in the Madden franchise tends to fall short of expectations, as EA Sports has become notorious for overpromising and under-delivering on the franchise. Ironically, their 'Franchise' game mode's development has been especially discouraging, as it has been stripped of its features and is a bare-bones rendition of years past.RELATED: 10 Teams You Forgot These NFL Players Were OnThe game does seem to have a solid grasp of is its player ratings, which are fluid based on performance throughout the year. However, it is not a perfect process, as there are always players rated too highly based on name recognition and others who deserve more respect in the rankings.

10 Josh Allen - 89

While Josh Allen's 89 rating is nothing to scoff at, it is absolutely disrespectful considering he is the sixth-highest rated quarterback and is one overall behind Lamar Jackson and Dak Prescott. His position gets even more egregious considering he only went up one overall throughout the year despite scoring 42 touchdowns in the regular season and playing lights out in two playoff games.

It is also shocking that his accuracy numbers are worse than both Matt Ryan and Kirk Cousins, who are much closer to the end of their career than the uber-talented signal-caller. It would make a lot more sense if his overall had accidentally flipped somehow, as a 98 overall would be a much more fitting mark for the 25-year-old.

9 Austin Ekeler - 86

Despite scoring 20 total touchdowns and establishing himself as one of the best running backs in the league in 2021, Austin Ekeler currently sits at 86 overall, which is only one point higher than before the season began. If the minuscule jump in the ratings was not disrespectful enough, the fact that the talented running back is also the 13th highest-rated player at his position should be.

One could argue that some players ahead of the 26-year-old, including Melvin Gordon III (who somehow rose one spot higher than Ekeler during the year), Ezekiel Elliott, and Kareem Hunt, have already experienced their best days and were the lesser talented backs in their offenses last season. Meanwhile, Ekeler was one of the most dynamic playmakers in the league and is certainly deserving of a higher spot on the list.

8 Jonathan Taylor - 92

While a 92 overall is hardly disrespectful under most circumstances, it is when you consider just how great Jonathan Taylor is. The 23-year-old, who possesses a rare blend of speed and strength, is coming off one of the most dynamic seasons from a running back in league history, as he had nearly 2200 yards from scrimmage and scored 20 total touchdowns.

He looked like the clear best running back in the league after Derrick Henry went down, but you wouldn't know it if you looked at the position rankings, as he is the sixth-highest-rated runner in the game. Likewise, the fact that he did not receive X-Factor superstar abilities until after the season was over (despite multiple in-season ability updates) was also incredibly disrespectful.

7 Deebo Samuel - 89

Deebo Samuel's playmaking ability was on display during his breakout 2021 campaign, as he established himself as one of the top receivers in the league and one of the most versatile weapons of all time. One could argue that the Swiss Army Knife, who set a record with eight rushing touchdowns from the receiver position, is deadly enough with the ball in his hands to merit a rating in the 90s at both wide receiver and running back.

Nevertheless, he checks in at a completely disrespectful 89 overall, tied for the 12th highest rating amongst receivers. To make matters worse, some names ahead of the 26-year-old include Amari Cooper, who just got traded for a bag of potato chips, and Michael Thomas, who hasn't scored a touchdown since 2019.

6 Ja'Marr Chase - 84

One could argue that Ja'Marr Chase, who set the record for the most receiving yards by a rookie in the Super Bowl era, is already the most dominant receiver in the league. However, Madden creators clearly have not gotten that memo, as Chase checks in at a measly 84 overall, tied for 25th amongst receivers.

Two players with an identical rating are Courtland Sutton, who has fewer receiving touchdowns in four seasons than Chase had last year, and Marquise Brown, who has dealt with inconsistency throughout his career. He is also one spot behind FanDuel enthusiast Calvin Ridley ('nuff said). The game tends to be slow to react to fantastic first-year performances, but there is no way to defend Chase's rating if he is four overall points lower than fellow rookie Micah Parsons.

5 A.J. Terrell Jr. - 87

A.J. Terrell is no stranger to getting disrespected, as the 23-year-old got snubbed from the Pro Bowl despite performing like the league's best cover man for much of the year. While Madden did recognize his breakout season (he is up ten rating points since the game launched), it is easy to argue that he deserves to be much higher in the rankings, as he is tied for 14th at his position with an 87 overall.

He was graded out as the top cornerback by Pro Football Focus and had one of the best coverage seasons in recent memory, which should be enough to land him a spot amongst the game's elite. It is only a matter of time before he becomes a household name, which should be enough to merit that status.

4 Justin Herbert - 84

Justin Herbert is off to a breakneck pace in his career, as he has already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. On the other hand, Madden has been slower to anoint him, as his 84 overall sits outside the top 10 at quarterback.

Despite throwing for over 5,000 yards during the season, the Pro Bowler only went up four overalls throughout the year and is still behind Kyler Murray and Ryan Tannehill. The 24-year-old is one of only nine quarterbacks to reach the threshold, and he will surely take another (hopefully more sizable) leap in the rankings if he continues on this trajectory.âââââââ

3 Robert Quinn - 84

Robert Quinn's first year in the Windy City did not go as planned, as he had a career-low two sacks in an injury-riddled 2020 campaign. However, he found his footing this year and again established himself as one of the most dominant pass rushers in the game, as he set a Chicago Bears record with 18.5 sacks, good enough for the second-most in the league.

Madden creators have seemingly not been informed of the season the 31-year-old put together, as he currently sits at a modest 84 overall. To make matters worse, Quinn also made strides as a run stopper and is a much more complete player than earlier in his career (when he was rated much higher), proving he deserves more respect than the rating.âââââââ

2 Elijah Mitchell - 81

Elijah Mitchell, who checks in at a modest 81 overall, is a prime example of Madden disrespecting a player just because they're a rookie, as the former sixth-rounder was a revelation for the 49ers in 2021. He not only surpassed expectations for his draft slot, but he also became one of the most consistent weapons for San Francisco's powerful ground and pound attack.

It didn't take long for the 23-year-old to leapfrog fellow rookie Trey Sermon, who received a significant amount of hype before the season began, as he proved to be a perfect fit for Kyle Shanahan's offense. He nearly surpassed the 1,000 yard barrier despite only playing in 11 games and certainly deserves more respect in the rankings.

1 Amon-Ra St. Brown - 75

Amon-Ra St. Brown was not only a surprisingly effective fourth-round draft pick, but he was also one of the lone bright spots on an otherwise atrocious Detroit Lions offense. Nevertheless, Madden has not been privy to his success thus far, as he sits at a 75 overall, a blasphemous mark for the promising 22-year-old.

The pass catcher, whose picture is not yet in the game, was red-hot down the stretch and finished the year with over 900 receiving yards (and another 61 yards on the ground). One could argue that he is the most egregiously underrated player in the game, as he outperformed countless players ahead of him. To make matters worse, he also was branded with a disrespectful 86 speed, which is far too low for St. Brown, who ran a 4.51 second 40-yard-dash at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine.