When it comes to the popular Madden video game franchise, expectations were low for the newest installment. EA Sports has made minimal chances of significance in past years, and fans didn't expect any different for Madden NFL 25. However, their latest player ratings have Pittsburgh Steelers fans in an uproar.
Madden has been slow-releasing its player ratings for its upcoming video game, which is set to be released on August 16, and fans have taken issue with player ratings. T.J. Watt was ranked below edge rushers Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons, while Minkah Fitzpatrick's overall rating is in a tier lower than Falcons' safety Jesse Bates.
On Friday, August 2, Madden NFL 25 released the last of their ratings with the quarterbacks. Nobody was surprised to see Patrick Mahomes make the '99 Club' for the fourth time in his career, but there were some questionable rankings toward the top of the list that will have fans talking (like rating Lamar Jackson six points higher than Josh Allen).
When you scroll down far enough, you'll come to the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterbacks. Madden gave Russell Wilson a 76 overall rating while Justin Fields was just below him at 75. When ranked compared to the rest of the league, this puts both quarterbacks just outside of the top 20 quarterbacks in the game.
Baker Mayfield, Geno Smith, and Kyler Murray are among the many quarterbacks rated higher than Wilson and Fields on Madden NFL 25. Just a handful of spots below them are players like Gardner Minshew, Andy Dalton, Joe Flacco, and even Kenny Pickett.
Steelers quarterbacks have added fuel after deplorable Madden ratings
It's hard to argue that these ratings aren't justified. Russell Wilson is coming off three straight unspectacular seasons, dating back to his final season in Seattle, while Justin Fields has not been able to stay on the field or clean up his spotty accuracy. When you go through the list of NFL quarterbacks, both Wilson and Fields probably fall in the early twenties.
But that doesn't mean they shouldn't be upset about this.
The Steelers have two players who were once thought of as 'franchise' quarterbacks. Wilson is a nine-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, while Fields was an 11th overall pick, the NFL's lead rushing QB, and the highest-rated dual-threat quarterback to ever come out of the high school.
These quarterbacks have a reputation to uphold and having millions of fans and gamers believing they belong in the same category of players like Joe Flacco and Andy Dalton isn't what they want.
As if the competition between each other wasn't already stiff enough, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will now fight against Madden's narrative that they belong outside of the top twenty quarterbacks in the NFL.
Madden NFL 25 will update its player ratings weekly, so where the Steelers' quarterbacks start in these ratings isn't necessarily where they will finish.