What does a player as supremely talented as T.J. Watt have to do to get a 99 overall in the popular video game Madden?
Coming off of yet another First Team All-Pro selection, another trip to the Pro Bowl, and — most importantly — the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award after tying the NFL’s single-season sacks record held by former New York Giants’ star and Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, Watt was left out of the exclusive Madden 99 club, according to an announcement from EA Sports Thursday.
Watt landed a 96 overall rating for the 2022 version of the popular video game, three points below Cleveland Browns’ defensive end Myles Garrett, whom he’s consistently put up better numbers than over the years.
Make it make sense, Madden developers!
According to EA Sports’ ratings, Watt has an 83 speed, 83 strength, 89 acceleration, 84 agility, 98 awareness and 91 tackling, not to mention an 85 rating on power rush moves and a 96 rating on finesse moves.
At some point, what the player does on the field has to outweigh his measurables or testing numbers from years ago. There’s just simply no way that Watt, who absolutely dominated the NFL last season from start to finish, grades out at a 96 overall and the No. 2 EDGE in the game behind Garrett.
Garrett certainly had a great year in 2021, recording 16 sacks while earning First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl accolades. Watt crushed him in the DPOY voting though, which has to factor in at some point.
Though he is just a 96 for Madden ’23, Watt did move up one spot in the EDGE ratings for the video game this season, jumping current Los Angeles Chargers’ defensive end Khalil Mack, who was No. 2 last season at 96 overall. Watt was a 94 for Madden ’22.
He’s had a sizable leap forward each season in the black and gold with the video game ratings.
As a rookie in Madden 18, Watt had a 74 rating. Madden 19 saw him jump up to an 80 overall, before then reaching an 82 in Madden 20 and an 86 in Madden 21. Then, Watt had his largest increase, going to a 94 overall in Madden 22 before now garnering a 96 overall in Madden 23.
In the end, they are just silly little video game ratings that really have nothing to do with what actually happens on the field. Still, it’s getting pretty ridiculous seeing Watt get overlooked and disrespected time and time again.
EA Sports also revealed ratings for other Steelers Tuesday as well. Myles Jack had the second-highest rating for Steelers released Tuesday, coming in at an 82 overall. Fellow inside linebacker Devin Bush clocked in at a 77 overall with 90 speed, while new defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi and third-year outside linebacker Alex Highsmith have ratings of 75 overall.
