The developers at EA Sports released initial player ratings Monday for “Madden NFL 20,” this year’s entry in the long-running video game franchise. And some of their player ratings raised eyebrows across the league; in one glaring example, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was given a 92 rating.
In a vacuum, 92 out of 100 is mighty fine. But when ranked against the other NFL quarterbacks, that number ties Brees with Indianapolis Colts QB Andrew Luck — and trails a handful of other, less-established names. Players like the Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes (97) and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Philip Rivers (94). New England Patriots QB Tom Brady (96) was also rated higher than Brees.
This slight didn’t escape notice. One of the players who knows Brees best, wide receiver Michael Thomas, was one of the first to call foul. Thomas wrote on his official Twitter account that “Brees don’t play video games 99 in real life!”
Another name familiar to Saints fans is Tyrann Mathieu, the former LSU defensive back and current starter for the Kansas City Chiefs. Mathieu was indignant at the disrespect to Brees:
Even players who haven’t lined up against Brees yet, like Miami Dolphins linebacker Raekwon McMillan, took offense:
Player ratings are locked in until the season starts, with weekly updates reflecting changes to rosters and individual performance being released from the game’s developers. So Brees will probably not be rated so low for too long, unless he’s truly fallen off a cliff, as aging quarterbacks sometimes do. Still, it’s impressive to see how his reputation is carried throughout the NFL and how his fellow players think of him.
