Madden 99 Club: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes ties Tom Brady with fourth 99 rating
Patrick Mahomes has caught up with Tom Brady in at least one category.
The Kansas City Chiefs star was named to the 99 Club in Madden 25, marking the fourth time in Mahomes' career that he's earned the honor. That matches the number of times Brady was a 99 overall player in Madden during his 23-year career.
Even though Mahomes is now even with Brady, he's still a bit away from the all-time record for most 99 Club nods. Recently retired star defensive tackle Aaron Donald was named to the 99 Club a record seven times in his career. Peyton Manning holds the record for most 99 Club honors held by a quarterback with six.
And Mahomes actually doesn't have the most 99 Club nods on the Chiefs. Travis Kelce holds that honor after being named to the 99 Club for the fifth time, which is the most ever for a tight end.
Their former Chiefs teammate, Tyreek Hill, was the first to be named to the club for this year's game. The Miami Dolphins star was the only receiver tabbed and is the first player in franchise history to ever receive a 99 overall rating.
A pair of San Francisco 49ers stars are also in the 99 Club. Running back and Madden 25 cover star Christian McCaffrey and offensive tackle Trent Williams were named to the club earlier this week.
The other top-rated receivers in Madden 25 are the Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson (98 overall) and the Dallas Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb (96 overall). Cleveland Browns star Nick Chubb was the second-highest-rated running back at 96 overall. 49ers tight end George Kittle (97 overall) trailed Kelce as the second-highest rated player at the position.
The overall ratings for safeties, defensive linemen, edge rushers and cornerbacks have also been unveiled, but no one received a 99. Atlanta Falcons star Jessie Bates III received the highest rating among all safeties at 97. Tampa Bay Buccaneers star Antoine Winfield Jr. had the second-highest rating among safeties, receiving a 94. Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones (97) was the highest-rated defensive lineman, while Dexter Lawrence II (95) of the New York Giants wasn't too far behind.
Micah Parsons of the Cowboys and Myles Garrett of the Browns were the two-highest rated edge rushers, with each falling a point short of the 99 Club with 98 overall ratings. Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets was the highest-rated cornerback (97) while Jalen Ramsey of the Dolphins was right behind him (96).
EA Sports will release rankings for each position throughout the week.
Here's a look at the 99 Club thus far.
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
Hill leads all players with 99 speed and is the highest-rated route runner in the game with 98 short, medium and deep route running. His incredible 2023 season was highlighted by a league-leading 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns, which was tied for the most in the NFL. Hill's 119 catches were the second-most in the league.
The 30-year-old Super Bowl champion receiver was selected to his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl last year.
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey is in the 99 Club for the second time in his career, earning the honor again following a career year. He rushed for a league-high 1,459 yards on 5.4 yards per carry. He was also dynamic as a receiver, adding 67 receptions for 564 yards. He finished the regular season with 21 total touchdowns (14 rushing, seven receiving). McCaffrey won Offensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting before leading San Francisco to the Super Bowl.
McCaffrey is the fifth player in 49ers franchise history to earn a 99 overall rating, joining Terrell Owens, Patrick Willis, Ken Norton Jr. and Williams.
McCaffrey is the first cover athlete of the game to receive a 99 overall rating since Antonio Brown in Madden NFL 19.
Trent Williams, OT, San Francisco 49ers
Williams is in the 99 Club for a second straight season, earning the honor after his third straight first-team All-Pro season. Several analysts have regarded Williams as the best left tackle in football since he joined San Francisco in 2020. The 11-time Pro Bowler is actually in the middle of a holdout, missing the start of Niners camp as he seeks a new deal. Maybe back-to-back 99 Club honors can help Williams at the negotiating table?
Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs
Kelce has set the record for the most appearances by a tight end in the 99 Club after another strong season in Kansas City. The 34-year-old had 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns during the regular season. Even though Kelce had his fewest receiving yards in eight years, he earned another Pro Bowl nod. More importantly, he stepped up his play when it mattered the most, recording 32 receptions for 355 yards and three touchdowns in four postseason games. That included a 116-yard performance in the AFC Championship Game and a 93-yard performance in the Chiefs' Super Bowl win.
Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Even arguably after his worst regular season as a starting quarterback, Mahomes still finished on top in 2023. He led the Chiefs to their third Super Bowl win in five years, putting up strong performances throughout the postseason to bring another Lombardi Trophy to Kansas City. Mahomes threw for 1,051 yards, six touchdowns and an interception to go with 141 rushing yards over four playoff games, including a 333-yard performance in the Super Bowl. Mahomes was still strong in the regular season as well, throwing for 4,183 yards, 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions to go with 389 rushing yards.
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