There are over 500 players in Saber Interactive’s new arcade sports game, but the best NFL players in Wild Card Football let you reach greater heights. Wild Card works a bit differently from other sports games. It doesn’t have player ratings like we see in Madden and NBA 2K. Instead, each player has a skill ceiling that determines just how well they perform in a certain stat. These stats improve the more you play as a certain team, so it’s worth finding a favorite, sticking with them, and seeing just how far you can go.
You can take the field with any team, of course, but these 13 players are the best of the best.
Patrick Mahomes II (Kansas City Chiefs)
Quenton Nelson (Indianapolis Colts)
Quenton Nelson became the second player in Indianapolis Colts history to earn Pro Bowl honors in his first four seasons on the team and has the most All-Pro selections of any player in his position. If you need someone to block the opposing team, Nelson is the right pick for you.
Tre’Davious White (Buffalo Bills)
Tre’Davious White had a rough 2022 that turned into an inspiring comeback story. After suffering a torn ACL, White had to sit out the end of the 2021 season and fell into a depressive slump. Friends from his NCAA days helped convince him to start a slow recovery journey, and he eventually opened a handful of games near the end of 2022. He’s one of the best cornerbacks in Wild Card, so give the Bills a thought when you’re deciding on your favorite team.
Khalil Mack (Los Angeles Chargers)
Mack is an award-winning defensive players, so you know you’re getting one of the best linebackers in the league when you pick the Chargers. Mack reunion with the Chargers in 2022 was a triumphant one. When he faced off against the Las Vegas Raiders, his previous team, he ended up becoming just the fifth non-rookie player to have a debut game with more than three sacks since the NFL started keeping records.
Jason Kelce (Philadelphia Eagles)
A center needs a keen eye and excellent accuracy, and few do it better than Jason Kelce. Kelce has one of the highest skill ceilings in Wild Card Football, which makes sense when you consider his list of awards and recognitions stretching back to 2009 and his college days, including six Pro Bowl nominations.
Christian McCaffrey (San Francisco 49ers)
Christian McCaffrey was the first player in NFL history to with 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the first 10 games of a season under his belt. That’s just one of the runningback’s many records, and he’s off to a roaring start in the 2023 season as well. He’s a pretty good reason to pick Team Purdy in Wild Card.
Leonard Williams (New York Giants)
Williams’ triumphs might be of a quieter kind, but he’s still one of the top Defensive Lineman in Wild Card and the broader league. He was a key part of the Giants making the playoffs for the first time in six seasons, and his strength helps him stand head and shoulders above other DLs in Wild Card.
Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice might have aged out of the NFL in real life, but he’s still playing fit in Wild Card. You’ll find few wide receivers as capable of catching and holding the ball as Rice.
Tyrann Mathieu (New Orleans Saints)
Mathieu is the only safety in Wild Card’s top 50, and he certainly earned his place there. In 2022, his most recent season with the Saints, Mathieu recorded nearly 100 tackles, a sack, and three interceptions.
Trevon Diggs (Dallas Cowboys)
Wild Card takes on a bit of Fantasy Football with this one. Trevon Diggs won’t be playing in the 2023 season after tearing his ACL during a practice session before he could even properly begin with the Cowboys. Still, his reputation precedes him, and he’s among the best cornerbacks you can play as.
Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings)
Right behind Mahomes is Kirk Cousins, fresh off an exceptional 2022. He might not have been able to help the Vikings overcome the Giants when it counted, but his accuracy and distance are (almost) unparalleled in Wild Card.
Colin Kaepernick
Like Jerry Rice, Colin Kaepernick is a bit of an exception to the usual Wild Card rule. He hasn’t appeared on field since 2017, so his appearance in Wild Card is technically the first time Kaepernick played professional football in over five years. His digital self remains just as capable as the real Kaepernick was six years ago, though.
Ja’Marr Chase (Cincinatti Bengals)
Ja’Marr Chase rounds out the top 13 as one of the top wide receivers who’s actually still playing professionally. Chase’s run with the Bengals might only be two years in the making, but it’s been a stellar two years. He became the youngest NFL player ever to receive more than two passes of 100 yards or more during the 2021 postseason, a feat even some Hall of Fame players never achieved, and the first rookie to receive over 200 yards in a single postseason game. In other words, you’ll probably want Chase on your team.
Wild Card Football launches on PC, PlayStation, Switch, and Xbox on Oct. 10, 2023.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
