After being one of the best teams to use in the Madden NFL video game series for most of the last 25 years, it would be pretty surprising if the New England Patriots are a popular pick in this year's installment of the EA Sports franchise.
The Patriots finished at the bottom of the AFC standings with a 4-13 record last season. Expectations are pretty low entering the 2024 season, too, and that's reflected in the player ratings for Madden 25, which releases this week on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Here are some notable facts about the Patriots' player ratings:
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- Matthew Judon is the team's highest-rated player at 88 overall (out of 100). No other player is above an 85.
- Just 11 players are rated 80 or higher.
- Rookie quarterback Drake Maye is rated 74 overall, including 94 throw power, 80 play action, 81 throw under pressure and 82 throw accuracy deep.
- Tackle/guard Michael Onwenu is the team's highest-rated offensive player at 84 overall.
- Christian Barmore is a 78 overall, which seems quite low after he tallied 8.5 sacks last season.
- The highest-rated skill position players are running back Rhamondre Stevenson (81 overall), tight end Hunter Henry (80) and wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (80).
- Speed is a huge factor in football video games. Wide receiver Tyquan Thornton has the team's highest speed rating (96), followed by cornerbacks Isaiah Bolden (95), Christian Gonzalez (93) and Marcus Jones (93).
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These ratings will change throughout the season as EA Sports releases roster updates. For example, if a player exceeds expectations early in the season, he'll likely get a ratings bump at some point.
The highest rating in the game is 99 overall. The "99 club" has five members to begin this year's installment, including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and 49ers left tackle Trent Williams.
Madden 25 releases Friday, Aug. 16. People with early access to the game as a result of pre-ordering the deluxe or MVP editions are able to download it and play now. Early access began Aug. 12.