Madden NFL 10: Two Cover Stars and Top Ten Position Ratings

  • By BrianEk, GameSpot
  • Posted Apr 24, 2009 1:57 pm PT

As you probably know by now, this year's Madden cover features two football greats: Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Troy Polamalu. It's the first time the Madden cover has been shared and it marks Fitz's return to the cover of an EA Sports football...

As you probably know by now, this year's Madden cover features two football greats: Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Troy Polamalu. It's the first time the Madden cover has been shared and it marks Fitz's return to the cover of an EA Sports football game (he was last seen on NCAA Football 2005).

Today, I had a chance to hang out with Larry, speak with him about being on the cover of the game (look for that video next week) and also check out the annual Madden luncheon, which featured a panel discussion about the game, player ratings, and the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft. Hosted by Rich Eisen of the NFL Network, the show also featured players like Fitzgerald, Madden NFL 2005 cover star Ray Lewis, newly minted Kansas City Chief Matt Cassel, and New York Giants' running back Brandon Jacobs.

Host Rich Eisen, Brandon Jacobs, Matt Cassel, Ray Lewis, Larry Fitzgerald

During the show, Eisen and company revealed the top ten players at several positions in the upcoming Madden 10, as well as their overall ratings. Here's how things will break down this season:

Quarterback
(Name, Team)
1 Peyton Manning -- Indianapolis
2 Tom Brady -- New England
3 Drew Brees -- New Orleans
4 Kurt Warner -- Arizona
5 Ben Roethlisberger -- Pittsburgh
6 Donovan McNabb -- Philadelphia
7 Tony Romo -- Dallas
8 Philip Rivers -- San Diego
9 Jay Cutler -- Chicago
10 Eli Manning - New York
(Sorry, wasn't quick enough on the draw to grab the QBs' overall ratings)

Wide Receiver
(Name, Team, Overall Rating)
1 Larry Fitzgerald -- Arizona -- 99
2 Andre Johnson -- Houston -- 98
3 Steve Smith -- Carolina -- 97
4 Randy Moss -- New England -- 96
5 Reggie Wayne -- Indianapolis -- 95
6 Anquan Boldin -- Arizona -- 94
Roddy White -- Atlanta -- 94
8 Wes Welker -- New England -- 93
9 Brandon Marshall -- Denver -- 92
Calvin Johnson -- Detroit -- 92

Tight End
(Name, Team, Overall Rating)
1 Tony Gonzalez -- Atlanta -- 98
2 Jason Witten -- Dallas -- 97
3 Antonio Gates -- San Diego -- 95
4 Chris Cooley -- Washington -- 91
Dallas Clark -- Indianapolis -- 91
6 Kellen Winslow -- Tampa Bay -- 90
Heath Miller -- Pittsburgh -- 90
8 Owen Daniels -- Houston -- 89
9 John Carlson -- Seattle -- 87
10 Jeremy Shockey -- New Orleans -- 86

Running Back
(Name, Team, Overall Rating)
1 Adrian Peterson -- Minnesota -- 98
2 Brian Westbrook -- Philadelphia -- 97
3 Michael Turner -- Atlanta -- 95
DeAngelo Williams -- Carolina -- 95
5 Clinton Portis -- Washington -- 94
LaDanian Tomlinson -- San Diego -- 94
7 Steven Jackson -- St. Louis -- 93
Frank Gore -- San Francisco -- 93
9 Maurice Jones-Drew -- Jacksonville -- 92
10 Marion Barber -- Dallas -- 91

Defenders
(Name, Team, Position, Overall Rating)
1 Albert Haynesworth -- Washington -- DT -- 99
Ed Reed -- Baltimore -- FS -- 99
Troy Polamalu -- Pittsburgh -- SS -- 99
Nnamdi Asomugha -- Oakland -- CB -- 99
Jared Allen -- Minnesota -- DE -- 99
6 James Harrison -- Pittsburgh -- OLB - 98
Justin Tuck -- New York Giants -- DE -- 98
DeMarcus Ware -- Dallas -- OLB -- 98
Adrian Wilson -- Arizona -- SS -- 98
Patrick Willis -- San Francisco -- MLB -- 98

Next up were the movers and shakers, the players who have had seen the biggest year-on-year swing (either positively or negatively) in their overall Madden rating. First up, the bad news:

Shakers
DeAngelo Hall -- Washington CB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 93
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 68
Difference: -25

Matt Leinart -- Arizona QB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 85
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 62
Difference: -23

Devin Thomas--Washington WR
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 81
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 63
Difference: -18

Torrey Holt -- Jacksonville WR
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 96
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 84
Difference: -12

Fred Smoot -- Washington CB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 87
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 76
Difference: -11

Finally, take a look at the players who improved most from the previous Madden game. You'll notice more than one rookie on this list:

Movers
Chris Johnson -- Oakland CB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 67
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 82
Difference: +14

Steve Slaton -- Houston RB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 74
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 87
Difference: +13

DeAngelo Williams--Carolina RB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 84
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 95
Difference: +11

Matt Forte -- Chicago RB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 80
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 89
Difference: +9

Matt Cassel -- Kansas City QB
Madden NFL 09 Overall Rating: 76
Madden NFL 10 Overall Rating: 83
Difference: +7

So there you go; a first look at some of the ratings in Madden NFL 10. Who do you think should be tops at each position in the game?

114 Comments

  • myrtlebeach

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 11:29 am PT

    why is shawne merriman not on that list after missing the season, but tom brady is there (and at the top of the list no less) and he missed the season too.. stupid stuff

  • nstraton

    Posted Aug 11, 2009 9:57 am PT

    wtf why is deangelo williams so high? i mean he had a good season but not that good and there is no way that steve smith is better than randy moss . . . i think theres a panther fan on the development team

  • shayor_usa

    Posted Jul 20, 2009 8:40 am PT

    steve smith should not be higher than moss or wayne

  • Kool-Aid247

    Posted Jul 1, 2009 7:19 pm PT

    What about Matt Ryan! That dude is beast..
    it should be..

    1. Tom Brady
    2. Drew Brees
    3. Kurt
    4. Jay
    5. Ben
    6. Carson
    7. Donovan
    8. Phill
    9. Romo

  • ivyn1

    Posted Jun 11, 2009 10:39 am PT

    Quarterbacks: 1. Peyton Manning- 99
    2. Tom Brady- 98
    3. Drew Brees- 97
    4. Kurt Warner- 94
    5. Ben Roethlisberger- 93
    6. Donovan McNabb- 91
    7. Philip Rivers- 88
    8. Carson Palmer- 87
    8. Jay Cutler- 87
    8. Tony Romo- 87

    Eli not in to 10 for some reason

  • bryanj2006

    Posted May 18, 2009 1:53 pm PT

    were is terrell owens? reggie wayne, brandon marshall, and roddie white, but no T.O. and why drop torry holts stats b/c he was on a crappy team, and now hes on a decent team? and why drop devin thomas to a 63, he did start making plays at the end of his rookie year last year, and hes going to see way more playing time this year?

  • YungPakaCaveman

    Posted May 13, 2009 3:18 pm PT

    I think LT should be right ahead of Michael Turner he had one good season and LT has proven alot more than he has! and Philip Rivers should definitely be ahead of Tony Romo!

  • Franchise123

    Posted May 10, 2009 6:06 pm PT

    Don't you hate it when in the offseason in franchise mode when a player retires when in real life he goes for another season? For example, Lorenzo Neal, he's old but he always goes for another season. My point is, they should make it so the manager has the choice to if he retires or not.(only if his contract is over with the team, but also another team should be a able to sign him)

  • Neovenator12

    Posted May 9, 2009 11:30 pm PT

    Wow! D. Hall dropped 25 points. I sure am glad Dan Snyder invested $50 Million in him

  • bxj4pres

    Posted May 6, 2009 9:16 pm PT

    I think Brees to Mcnabb should be 97 to 95. and i just wanna know what Desean Jackson rating is gonna be after having a great rookie season. he should have probably been in the category for most improved. if he isn't high 80'2 to 90 then there is a problem.

  • Giants42

    Posted May 5, 2009 3:35 pm PT

    Where is Big Bad Brandon Jacobs? He is better than he better than barber, gore and jones-drew, he is the reason the gmen have the best run game in the nfl in 2008. And Eli is better than Baby Cutler, Romo and Rivers(good job for getting the qb ratings).

  • zmdecker24

    Posted May 5, 2009 2:44 pm PT

    One last thing...

    Jennings is one of the elite recievers of the league, but he plays on a team that gets NO credit (the Packers).
    However, i think they should make him a 94+, he is a talent and something teams have to plan for. Also, Aaron Rodgers should be up there too. For succeeding the legendary Brett Favre, he did a hell of a job.

    One last thing; Michael Turner was second in the league for rushing and had a lot of touchdowns. Thats why he's 3rd in the game. He's a tank. Did anyone even watch those game? haha

  • zmdecker24

    Posted May 5, 2009 2:40 pm PT

    Alrighty...first off i disagree with the claim on Barber being overrated; he is an exclusive up-the-middle back and still managed a par season with a struggling Cowboys team. I agree, however, that LT is overrated still. Hopefully he bounces back though!

    I am most frustrated with the rating on Jared Allen though. Jared Allen is NOT the best Defensive End in the league. He is very good, but not the best. Being a Falcons fan, it would be obvious i assume John Abraham is better. I do they are equal; John Abraham had 2 more sacks on the season, whereas Jared Allen had 17 more tackles. John Abraham also had one more fumble forced. I find it hard to believe that the Abraham will be rated around 94 when he had just as (if not better than!) good as stats as Allen did. I just find that frustrating. Especially in the divisions; Allen played in the weakened NFC North (Bears horrendous offense, Detroits 0-16, and the Packers rebuilding team) whereas Abraham played the surprising NFC South (The playoff-bound Panthers, the passing machine that is the Saints, and the smashmouth team of the Buccaneers). I think they need to revalue the DE in this game, even if it is not John Abraham.

    *Also, i agree. Calvin Johnson should be a 95ish. He had a spectacular season for a terrible team.

  • xZeppelin18x

    Posted May 3, 2009 5:07 pm PT

    calvin got f***ed.

  • shawn305

    Posted May 3, 2009 10:53 am PT

    for Wide Receiver from Fitzgerald to Moss should be 99 overall

    Brady and PAYTON Manning should be 99 overall

  • shandoo45

    Posted May 3, 2009 10:43 am PT

    Wes welker should be 95 moss 94 and cassel should be 85

  • Coltz53091

    Posted May 1, 2009 4:44 am PT

    I think Ben should be a higher rating than he is, I saw this, and I think his rating was 93. I think he deserves to be more, he already has 2 super bowls :\ I also can't believe Wes Welker is that high a rating..Frank Gore is over rated, Chris Johnson should be much higher. and I'm glad Carson Palmer finally isn't highly rated..that is one sucky QB XD

  • foofightersrule

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 8:17 pm PT

    No Jamarcus on the top 10 quarterbacks??!! Hell who am I fooling, he wouldn't make the top ten if there were only 10 in the league... I hate my team

  • elijah783

    Posted Apr 30, 2009 12:18 pm PT

    really EA....calvin johnson rated lower than wes welker...the guy played for detroit with a revolving QB door...continually beat double teams and teams focused on stopping him....wes welker caught screen passes...all year....he probably caught 8 balls that were further than 4 yards from the line of scrimmage....he's a product of a scheme and having randy moss get the D's attention

  • dellis66

    Posted Apr 29, 2009 11:48 pm PT

    Calvin Johnson is BY FAR the best WR in the league.

  • dellis66

    Posted Apr 29, 2009 11:46 pm PT

    Yeah...Ronnie Brown isn't in the top RB 10???!!! LT and Barber are grossly overrated in this game.

  • ACx7

    Posted Apr 29, 2009 7:02 pm PT

    I dislike the fact that Brady is in the top 5 for this game. He sat out an entire season, at least lower him for the launch of the game, if he is back to normal, include it in a roster update. Champ Bailey has been getting progressively quieter over the past 2-3 years. He will be in the top 5 corners, most likely top 3, but not overall defensive players. Once again, with Landry... That is overall defense, and when it comes to players in their postions, Landry would probably fall 4th or 5th on the Safties list.

  • nemeth6

    Posted Apr 29, 2009 6:06 am PT

    i agree with gobucky! its almost as if the developers hadnt even watched the nfl season this past year.. statisically chad pennington had a better year then big ben and he isnt even listed on the top 10 qbs.. then they dropped D Hall 25 pts for having an off year where he was in oakland for the majority of the season.. and devin thomas was a rookie last season (second round) and instead of him progessing in overall they drop him for splitting time with malcom kelly.. idk call me crazy

  • Yung_Thrandy

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 6:35 pm PT

    Where the Hell is Champ Bailey

  • patrickbrowne

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 4:23 pm PT

    How come laron landry isn't up there. And don't get me wrong tom brady is good but i think he is a little over rated come on willie parker was hurt half of last season and he is no where near on this list

  • amoreno65

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 3:36 pm PT

    Wow Tom Brady is so beastly he got the number 2 spot and he didn't even play last season BEASTLY!

  • cpspeed

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 12:06 pm PT

    I LOVE the new cover! They should take a player from each Super Bowl team every year. EA used to do something similar with their basketball games back in the 16-bit era. After Lakers vs. Celtics, they started naming them after the two teams in the NBA finals (Bulls vs Lakers, Bulls vs Blazers) then they came out with the "Live" name.

  • kufiesmaker

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 10:10 am PT

    wheres jacobs at

  • Mr_Fujiv1

    Posted Apr 28, 2009 2:41 am PT

    i dont aggree on some of the ratings but i hope you can change them like on fifa

  • chaoscougar1

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 9:49 pm PT

    i think that was a little harsh for deangelo hall, 25 is massive

  • kingdandre

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 9:29 pm PT

    the skins players are dropping fast espicially hall

  • kane656

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 8:32 pm PT

    Pat or Kevin Williams from the vikings should definitely be on the top10 defenders list

  • KingOwl

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 5:55 pm PT

    put my dawg ronnie brown up there with the top 10 RB's

  • SweeperGroup

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 4:39 pm PT

    for Chris Johnson: 82-67 = 14? should be +15 great math

  • MURDA_B

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 12:29 pm PT

    good ratings...but i want to see more gameplay

  • conan6980

    Posted Apr 27, 2009 11:15 am PT

    yetio9 wrote: "Why the hell is Chris Johnson listed as a CB from Oakland"

    Not to sound like a d***, but probably because there is a CB on the Oakland Raiders named Chris Johnson.

  • eli_manning10

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 10:32 pm PT

    jones drew and gore should be penalized for not being good

  • eli_manning10

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 10:27 pm PT

    please ea, don't listen to people who take potential into account.
    ratings are all about statistics and past achievements

  • eli_manning10

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 10:08 pm PT

    jacobs?

  • gamer18033

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 5:59 pm PT

    deangelo hall should be at least an 80. why else would the redskins pay him so much money? he did pretty well last year in dc. also leinart is definitely not THAT bad. 62 is probably the lowest qb rating in the game. he still has the skills, he just didn't get any playing time because he's on the same team as a guy named kurt warner.

  • RD1109

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 5:25 pm PT

    bleedgreen2-1-5 -- T.O. missed Romo for one game.

  • bleedgreen2-1-5

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 4:50 pm PT

    I agree with gobucky on one thing, Jennings belongs in the top 10 but where is T.O. and ocho cinco? they both didnt have thier best years but they also didnt have thier QB the whole time.

    I like most ratings but i would say drop Eli off and slide in maybe Rodgers, Warner is just flat out over rated, he sucks without pro bowl receivers and has practically been spoon fed sucess with Holt Bruce Fitzgerald Boldin and even Breaston, hey remember the year he was a Giant? no pro bowl receivers? no sucess, i would have put McNabb under Brees.

    I like Westbrook and Petersons rating but i was shocked to see Michael Turner at 3

    Eagles got Maclin and McCoy from PITT so theyre gonna be great in 10 i cant wait!
    Peace! Go Eagles!

  • gobucky

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 4:45 pm PT

    Jeez I know the Packers weren't a very good team last year but that was because of their D, how Rodgers and Jennings aren't the in the top 10 at their positions a mind blowing gaff. I mean, really, these guys are saying that Wes Welker is better than Jennings? That's laughable to the point as to where I actually have to question as to whether or not the developers of this game even paid attention to football at all last year.

  • -Near-

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 3:45 pm PT

    I wonder what Chad Johnson and T.O's ratings are?

  • yetio9

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 3:12 pm PT

    Why the hell is Chris Johnson listed as a CB from Oakland

  • dellis66

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 2:26 pm PT

    I hope RB Chris Johnson for TENN got a better rating then Slaton at the least, but really he should be rated like the top 5 RB he is.

  • killer_kupkake

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 1:44 pm PT

    Very accurate ratings. D-Hall isn't THAT bad, but I understand their judgment. Also, Marvin Harrison is still a top 10 receiver. No matter what.

  • stewart24

    Posted Apr 26, 2009 12:58 pm PT

    Yes hall isnt doing the greatest but come on to drop that low to be at 69 is not right at all

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