Panthers' Christian McCaffrey Joins 99 Overall Club in Madden NFL 2020

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey has become the newest member of the 99 Club in Madden NFL 20. 

EA Sports announced Thursday that the 23-year-old achieved the elusive 99 overall rating:

McCaffrey made history in the process, becoming the youngest player in the 31-year history of the video game to reach the highest possible ranking. 

"It's unreal to be the youngest player ever to reach 99 overall in Madden NFL and to know the adjuster team feels my performance on the field warrants the highest rating is extremely flattering," he said. "Very few athletes achieve the 99 rating, and I'm honored to join such an elite group."

When the game launched on Aug. 2, McCaffrey was tied for third among running backs with New York Giants star Saquon Barkley at 91 overall. Le'Veon Bell of the New York Jets and Melvin Gordon of the Los Angeles Chargers shared first place with a 92 overall rating. 

The rankings have changed slightly since that time, with four players—Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack—starting with a 99 overall rating. 

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes joined that group in Week 4. Wagner has dropped one point to a 98 overall, so the addition of McCaffrey keeps the club at five members.

Source: EA Sports

Through 10 games this season, McCaffrey has been one of the best and most versatile players in the NFL. The former Stanford star leads the league with 1,059 rushing yards, 105.9 rushing yards per game, 11 rushing touchdowns, 1,576 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns. 

McCaffrey's consistency from week to week has allowed the Panthers (5-5) to remain competitive in the absence of Cam Newton. He's played at least 93 percent of the offensive snaps seven times in 10 games and has recorded at least 150 yards from scrimmage in seven games. 

Given how valuable McCaffrey has been to the Panthers and how impressive his numbers have been for more than half of the season, the Colorado native is a welcome and worthy addition to Madden NFL 20's select group of players to join the vaunted 99 Club.