Madden NFL 26 was the highly anticipated video game release of the year for football fans, but not everyone is pleased with its player ratings. Leading up to the game's release date, EA Sports slowly released its initial player ratings for Madden NFL 26... and one budding Pittsburgh Steelers star was snubbed in the worst way.
Payton Wilson is coming off a phenomenal rookie season. Despite starting just four of 17 games as a backup off-ball linebacker, Wilson recorded 78 tackles, three tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, a miraculous one-handed interception, and a defensive touchdown.
But his dominant rookie showing wasn't enough to sway those decided on his weird player rating.
Upon the game's launch, Payton Wilson has an overall rating of 76. Although this may not seem egregious at first glance, it becomes increasingly odd the more you examine it. Wilson's overall rating ranks just 46th among NFL off-ball linebackers (Mike, Weak, and Sam linebackers).
What's even weirder is that Wilson's underwhelming player rating makes him just the third-best linebacker on his own team. Madden NFL 26 gave Patrick Queen an 82 overall rating while Cole Holcomb—who hasn't seen the field since the middle of the 2023 season—was given a 78 overall rating.
Before the Steelers' 2025 training camp, Holcomb wasn't even a lock to make the final roster, and the veteran is fighting to be third in line for snaps at the position in Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, Wilson is going to be a full-timer starter in 2025. And yet, he's the player who can't seem to earn respect.
Madden NFL 26 robbed Pittsburgh Steelers LB Payton Wilson of the overall rating he deserves
Wilson isn't a perfect player, but there aren't many flaws in his game. Entering his second season, the 2024 third-round pick still has work to do if he wants to climb the ladder of success. However, nothing is holding him back from reaching the top.
At 6'4'' and 242 pounds with 4.43 speed, Wilson possesses a rare combination of size, speed, and instincts. This impressive combination of traits helped him earn the eighth-best coverage grade as a rookie and the 17th overall grade among all NFL linebackers in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus.
Wilson was also credited with allowing a mere 5.5 yards per target in pass coverage last season on 39 targets for what equated to just a 79.0 passer rating from opposing quarterbacks when throwing to his coverage.
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The NC State product slipped in the 2024 NFL Draft due to his lengthy injury history, but draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah gushed over the selection. He was, by far, the best remaining player on Jeremiah's draft board and even drew Luke Kuechly comps entering the NFL.
So far, he's living up to the hype. But those coming up with the player ratings for Madden aren't seeing it.
To be fair, EA Sports hit the nail on the head with Wilson's athletic attributes. His 91 speed is tied for first among all linebackers on Madden NFL 26, and his 81 change of direction score is tied for top 10 at his position. With a low awareness rating (for whatever reason), there's room for his rating to improve quickly.
Still, Madden missed the mark when it came to giving Payton Wilson a player rating that ranks outside of the league's top 45 linebackers in the league. The budding Pittsburgh Steelers star is poised for a huge second season, and he's about to prove Madden NFL 26 made a colossal mistake.