Arizona Cardinals weigh-in on their Madden 16 ratings
Aug 27, 2015, 7:54 PM
Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell represented in Madden 16. (Photo by EA Sports)
(Photo by EA Sports)
In the United States, and really, across the world, EA Sports’ annual release of the newest iteration of the wildly popular Madden football video game franchise is met with intense fervor and anticipation. In fact, when it comes to sports video games, along FIFA (another insanely popular title published by EA Sports), Madden holds arguably the loftiest place in the hearts of sports video gamers. With the official release of Madden 16 on August 25, the franchise enters its 27th year, captivating video gamers of all ages, including those who find themselves represented in the game.
A common topic bandied about this time of year among NFL players who play Madden is their rating in the game. Each player featured in the game is rated on a 1-99 scale, with 99 being the highest possible rating. For the Arizona Cardinals, defensive end Calais Campbell is the highest-rated Cardinal with an overall rating of 95, while the highest-rated offensive player is left tackle Jared Veldheer, who checks in with an overall rating of 90.
Players such as quarterback Carson Palmer (83), wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald (87) and Michael Floyd (83), left guard Mike Iupati (88), cornerback Patrick Peterson (89) and safety Tyrann Mathieu (83) each secured an overall rating above 80.
Of course, there are other players who fail to rank among the upper-echelon of the Madden ratings. Cardinals linebacker Kevin Minter is one such player.
“One of my boys, Corey — from back home — called me up to tell me I was like a 78 (overall). I’ve got to get that up!” Minter said with a laugh.
“I definitely plan on getting [Madden 16]. I haven’t been able to go get it at the GameStop when everyone was lined up for it because of this camp stuff, but I definitely want to get it.”
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, safety Tony Jefferson said his modest Madden rating is a motivating factor when it comes to improving his overall play on the real life gridiron.
“I haven’t made the mark [in the NFL] that I want yet,” Jefferson said. “Especially on Madden. My rating is 77, so I got some ways to go, man. I got some things to work on and I’m excited about the process. Hopefully I have a big year this year.”
