The Ratings Madden NFL 21 Got Wrong

In advance of the game's late-August release, the player ratings for Madden NFL 21 have been released, and there's naturally plenty of buzz and dismay regarding the results.

Which ratings missed the mark the most? Here's a rundown of 12 that the folks behind Madden got wrong. 

Houston Texans edge J.J. Watt: 98

Watt recorded an impressive 21 quarterback hits in just eight games last season, but he's 31 now and his age and durability are huge concerns. He has missed 32 games the last four seasons and has hit the five-sack mark just once during that span. 

And yet Madden has determined that only five players are better right now. It's very hard to understand how anyone could rate Watt above Khalil Mack (97) or Chandler Jones (95), both of whom are perennial superstars on the edge. He should be grouped with Jalen Ramsey (94). 

What it should be: 94

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

Denver Broncos edge Von Miller: 97

Miller should be in the same group. He's also 31 and is coming off a season in which his sack total plummeted from 14.5 in 2018 to just eight in 2019. He also failed to force a single fumble in 15 games. 

The three-time first-team All-Pro has a big reputation, but he and Watt are getting too much credit for past accomplishments. Neither has been at his best since the middle of the last decade. 

What it should be: 94

Tampa Bay Buccaneers TE Rob Gronkowski: 95

Ditto for Gronk, who somehow earned a rating just a notch below game-changing tight ends George Kittle (98) and Travis Kelce (97), despite the fact he didn't play in 2019, his numbers fell off a cliff in 2018 and there's no telling how rusty he'll be at the age of 31. 

That's five points higher than Zach Ertz, who was far more productive than Gronkowski when Gronk was last on the field in 2018 and went over 800 yards for the fifth straight year in 2019. It's tough to grade players who weren't on the field the previous year, but Gronkowski belongs in the same range as Austin Hooper (89) and Evan Engram (88).

What it should be: 89

Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson: 94

Jackson is a human video game and won the league's MVP in 2019, and yet 25 players have higher ratings than him. It's nonsensical, and it's easy to understand why the 23-year-old megastar was practically rendered speechless by news of his 94 rating. 

It's possible Jackson will be a one-year wonder, but that's pretty damn unlikely consider the progress he made as a passer in 2019. It's just silly that he shares a rating with somebody like Jason Kelce and is rated worse than good-but-fading teammate Calais Campbell (95). 

What it should be: 98

Baltimore Ravens OT Ronnie Stanley: 93

Stanley is a 26-year-old first-team All-Pro at one of the most important positions in the sport. He was the pass-blocker of the year at Pro Football Focus last season, and the 2016 No. 6 overall pick has the ability to keep improving. 

There's no way 30 players are more valuable than Stanley. He belongs ahead of fellow left tackles David Bakhtiari (96) and Terron Armstead (95). 

What it should be: 97

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

New York Giants RB Saquon Barkley: 91

EA Sports actually defended this decision to ESPN by noting that Barkley's struggles while playing through injury in 2019 hurt his case this summer. But it's odd that struggling while hurt is worse for one's rating than not playing at all, and Barkley deserves the benefit of the doubt. 

The 2018 No. 2 overall pick racked up more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage and scored 15 touchdowns in a bad offense as the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2018, and he was just as dominant before suffering an ankle injury early in 2019. Four backs, including Nick Chubb, are rated higher, which is ludicrous.  

What it should be: 95

Minnesota Vikings DT Michael Pierce: 91

Pierce is a solid interior defender who deserves plenty of credit for his run defense, but the 27-year-old doesn't have the splash-play ability you expect of a player with a rating in the 90s. He has just 3.5 sacks and no forced fumbles or All-Pro honors in four NFL seasons. 

Grouping him with difference-makers like Joey Bosa and Odell Beckham Jr. is pushing it. 

What it should be: 87

Green Bay Packers edge Za'Darius Smith: 88

Smith famously revealed a shirt under his uniform that said "SNUBBED" after he somehow didn't make the Pro Bowl in 2019, and a sub-90 rating should also be considered a slap in the face. 

The 27-year-old tied for the NFL lead with 37 quarterback hits in a 13.5-sack 2019 season that earned him a spot on PFF's All-Pro team. But 86 players somehow landed higher ratings from EA Sports this summer. Are you seriously going to tell me that Joe Mixon and Lavonte David make larger impacts than Smith?

What it should be: 93

Pittsburgh Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick: 87

Based on Pro Football Reference's approximate value metric (which is "an attempt to put a single number on the seasonal value of a player at any position from any year"), Fitzpatrick was the most valuable sub-25-year-old defensive player in the NFL last season.

Following a trade from the Miami Dolphins, he intercepted five passes and scored two touchdowns in 14 high-impact starts with the Steelers. But he shares a Madden rating with a kicker (Justin Tucker) and a backup running back (Kareem Hunt). 

What it should be: 94

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Houston Texans QB Deshaun Watson: 86

The two-time Pro Bowler has put up 85 passing and rushing touchdowns in just 38 career games (37 of which he's started). Only Dan Marino has accounted for more total scores at the 37-start mark, and yet seven quarterbacks have higher ratings than Watson. 

How is that even possible? The 24-year-old's skill set is perfect for Madden domination, and he's one of the most clutch players in the NFL. I can't see anybody opting to ride with Tom Brady (90) or Aaron Rodgers (89) over Watson at this stage, but those aging, fading quarterbacks have much higher ratings than Watson.

What it should be: 94

Pittsburgh Steelers edge T.J. Watt: 86

Altogether, 125 players have higher Madden ratings than Watt, who is a reigning first-team All-Pro and a two-time Pro Bowler at the age of 25. The man earned 10 votes for Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, and he's the only player in the league with two dozen sacks and a dozen forced fumbles since the start of 2018. 

He should be grouped with guys like Bobby Wagner (98), Mack (97) and Cameron Jordan (96). Instead, he's hanging with guys like Johnny Hekker, Budda Baker and Todd Gurley. 

What it should be: 95

Jacksonville Jaguars edge Yannick Ngakoue: 83

While Ngakoue hasn't hit an apex quite like Shaquil Barrett (85 rating despite leading the league in sacks last year), the 25-year-old has been consistently productive enough to prove this isn't a flash in the pan. 

Ngakoue has recorded at least eight sacks in each of his first four seasons, and his 14 forced fumbles in 63 career games are the fourth-highest total in the NFL during that stretch. It's insulting that he shares a rating with punters Tress Way and Thomas Morstead, behind 211 other players. 

What it should be: 90

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter: @Brad_Gagnon.