Madden NFL 26 today unveiled the "99 Club," all the players to achieve the game's coveted highest rating. The first reveal came June 2 when EA revealed Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley was the cover athlete and 99 overall.
Saquon will have some Eagles backup as Philly right tackle Lane Johnson also earned a 99. Joining them are Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Myles Garrett, Justin Jefferson, and Ja' Marr Chase. The seven 99s at launch is the highest total in Madden history, but it's hard to argue with these ratings. Every one of these players is absolutely one of the best at their position.
Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen, somewhat shockingly, is the first Buffalo Bill ever to earn a 99. Thurman Thomas would like a word, guys. Significantly less shocking is that Ja' Marr Chase is the first player for the often hapless Cincinnati Bengals to earn a 99 overall rating. It's the third time Jefferson and Garrett have earned 99s.
This is as good a place as any to mention that Chase and Jefferson went to LSU, or Wide Receiver University. Yes, I did go to LSU (Shreveport, that is).
Thanks to superstar abilities and X-Factors, the gap between the best players and everybody else has never been bigger. Those big glowing Xs just let everybody know that these are superhumans, capable of making, runs, catches, or tackles that normal human beings just cannot.
Madden NFL 26 drops August 14 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. Early Access for players who pre-ordered the Deluxe Edition or MVP Bundle which contains College Football 26 get early access starting August 7.