The quarterback is the most important position on any NFL team. As such, expectations are high, and tolerance for shortcomings is low. Because of this, a QB can find themselves in some sticky situations, many of which are unwinnable.
Going into the 2025 NFL season, there is no shortage of quarterbacks in peril. Some of these hardships are earned, be it because of poor performance or attitude issues. Others aren’t nearly as fair. So, which QBs are in the worst position not just with their real-life careers, but in the upcoming Madden 26 as well?
There’s No Way For Kenny Pickett To Win In Cleveland
It wouldn’t be an NFL season without a Cleveland Browns quarterback debacle. And 2025 is shaping up to be one of the team’s most interesting sagas ever, believe it or not. Not only do they have more QBs than they know what to do with, one of them is Kenny Pickett, who, thus far, has not emerged as an NFL-caliber talent under center with either the Pittsburgh Steelers or the Philadelphia Eagles.
At the moment, the Browns have five — yes, FIVE — quarterbacks going into 2025, including veteran Joe Flacco, money pit DeShaun Watson, and two rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shadeur Sanders, as well as the aforementioned Pickett. And no matter how you slice it or dice it, I can’t envision a scenario where Kenny Pickett wins out.
The best-case scenario for Pickett is that Cleveland decides to cut their losses with Watson, pass on one of their two draft-pick QBs, and retain Flacco as the veteran leader. But even in this situation, it’s hard to imagine Pickett as anything better than a backup, if not an emergency third option.
As far as Madden is concerned, Pickett had a garish 67 OVR in Madden 25. And with him not getting much in the way of reps in 2024 as the backup QB on the Eagles, I doubt that overall increases, meaning he’ll be stuck in that “don’t touch unless there’s an emergency” area with players.
Maybe I’m completely wrong, and the Browns decide to stick with Pickett over Flacco. But Flacco is a proven commodity, even at the age of 40. Pickett is not.
Steelers Fans Have Rejected Aaron Rodgers, And It’s Unlikely Madden 26 Will Give Him Any Respect
What is it about the AFC North and quarterbacks this year? In any case, Aaron Rodgers was likely the best possible option for the Pittsburgh Steelers going into 2024 after a tumultuous year where neither Justin Fields nor Russell Wilson proved viable moving forward. But if you’ve been following social media, you’d likely disagree with that assessment.
Despite Rodgers having a Super Bowl and four league MVP awards under his belt, Steelers fans haven’t been too stoked on the idea of him being the guy in 2025. Maybe that’s because of his lackluster results with the New York Jets over the last two seasons. Or maybe it’s because the guy has a big mouth and some strange views on the world. In either case, Rodgers hasn’t been given what many would call a hero’s welcome in Pittsburgh.
On top of that, it’s unknown who Rodgers will even be throwing to this season. We know that offseason acquisition DK Metcalf will most definitely be WR1 this year, but apart from him, the Steelers lack a true WR2 to help the offense spread the field.
Furthermore, after two lackluster seasons in New York, does anybody expect Madden 26 to give any kind of a boost to Rodgers’ ability? He had only a 77 OVR in Madden 25, and nothing he’s done would justify an increase there. If anything, the argument can be made that it should go down further.
The Writing Is On The Wall For Will Levis In Tennessee
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Tennessee Titans selected Cam Ward as the first pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. In turn, Will Levis’ career with the Titans — and, quite possibly, as an NFL starter — is likely over.
In a way, you kind of have to feel for Levis. He’s only been in the league for two years and was only named the true starter once in that span, though he’d later have to alternate with backup QB Mason Rudolph towards the end of 2024. And despite Titans GM Mike Borgonzi telling the press that the Titans would stand by Levis as he developed, they drafted Ward anyway.
Has he had enough time to acclimate himself to the NFL? Probably not. Regardless, the Titans are inevitably moving on and will place all of their support behind the (rightfully) much-hyped Ward. And when it comes to his profile in Madden 26, Levis is unlikely to be a viable option.
