The ratings for Madden 26 have officially been posted ahead of the iconic video game's release later this month. The rookie ratings and seven players who earned a 99 in Madden 26 were revealed earlier this week, and as of Friday, the ratings for the entire league have been released.
With the new ratings fully out, here's a look at four of the more overrated and underrated player ratings from Madden 26.
Overrated
TE Travis Kelce (93 overall)
Travis Kelce is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest tight ends ever, but receiving the second-highest Madden rating among all tight ends is not an accurate reflection of where he currently stands in his career.
George Kittle (98 overall) was the only tight end ranked higher than Kelce, despite both Brock Bowers and Trey McBride clearly putting together better and more productive seasons in 2024. McBride (92 overall) and Bowers (90 overall) are not rated far below Kelce, but deserve to rate higher than him at this point of their careers.
TE Mark Andrews (91 overall)
Mark Andrews did see his rating drop from 94 to 91 this year, but a 91 overall seems high for the Ravens tight end. His rating especially feels high since like Kelce, he's ranked above Brock Bowers, who had a record-setting rookie season. In particular, Andrews's speed rating (87) seems generous since it's tied with Trey McBride and higher than Lions tight end Sam LaPorta.
WR Stefon Diggs (88 overall)
Stefon Diggs was off to a productive season before tearing his ACL with the Texans last year, but an 88 overall rating and 91 speed rating seem high for a 31-year-old receiver coming off a major injury. With the amount of great receivers in the NFL, Diggs receiving a top-15 rating in Madden does not seem to match where he and the league are at this point of his career.
RB Kenneth Walker III (88 overall)
Kenneth Walker III received a high rating in Madden 26 largely thanks to his physical gifts, which helped him pull in a 94 in speed, 92 in agility and 90 in change of direction. Walker is certainly talented, but the rating feels quite high for a player who recorded just 573 yards while averaging 3.7 yards per carry over 12 games. This is especially the case when Walker is tied for the ninth-best rating among running backs with Jonathan Taylor, who just rushed for 1,411 yards and 11 touchdowns over 14 games last year.
Underrated
WR A.J. Brown (93 overall)
A 93 is far from a poor rating, but A.J. Brown is tied for just the seventh-best rating among receivers in Madden 26 even though he is often considered a top-five, if not top-three receiver in the league. This is also a drop-off from when he had the fourth-highest Madden rating among receivers a year ago. Brown did miss a few games due to injury last season, but remains one of the most dynamic and explosive receivers in the game when healthy.
S Kyle Hamilton (90 overall)
Despite being considered the best or a top-3 safety by many in the NFL, Kyle Hamilton tied for just the seventh-best ranking among safeties in Madden 26, coming in behind Jessie Bates III, Derwin James Jr., Xavier McKinney, Budda Baker, Minkah Fitzpatrick, and Antoine Winfield Jr. Given his intuitive play on the field, Hamilton's awareness rating (88) feels a touch low. He did get labeled an "X-factor" for reinforcement, but his rating should still be higher.
WR Brian Thomas Jr. (84 overall)
Brian Thomas Jr. is only entering his second NFL season, but he emerged as one of the top receivers in the league during his rookie season. The Jaguars wideout, who did earn a 97 speed rating, finished third in the NFL in receiving yards a season ago even without consistent play at quarterback. There are so many good receivers in the NFL these days, but Thomas did not even crack the top 25 receivers in Madden 26. So long as he builds off his rookie season, Thomas could easily become a top-10 receiver next year.
CB Jaycee Horn (86 overall)
Jaycee Horn emerged as one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL last season, when he was healthy to play the whole year, but comes in with the 16th-best rating at the position. It's understandable that Horn might need to put together another full season to raise his rating, especially after missing time in each of his first three seasons. His injury rating (84) is naturally lower, but his awareness rating (81) could be higher. His 81 awareness rating is the lowest among cornerbacks with an 81 rating or higher outside of Travis Hunter, a rookie.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 4 Most Overrated, Underrated Players in Madden 26 Ratings.
