Patrick Mahomes inspired to raise his game after seeing Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Saquon Barkley lead Madden 99 ratings

 

The wait is almost over-we’ve got our firshe wait is almost over-we’ve got ourt NFL preseason game this week with the Lions facing the Chargers in the Hall of Fame Game, kicking off the season for real. Starting this Thursday, there won’t be a week without NFL action until the week before Super Bowl 60, set for February 8 at Levi’s StadiuThe early favorites to clash again are the same two teams that battled it out in last season’s Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans: the Chiefs and the Eagles. The Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, are never out of the race, chasing a shot to be the second team (after the Bills from 1990-1993) to play four straight Super Bowls. Meanwhile, the Eagles boast what many call the league’s best roster, a claim backed by this year’s Madden video game ratings.m in Santa Clara, California.

 

Mahomes Finds Fuel as Allen and Barkley Steal Madden 99 Spotlight

So why does Madden crown the Eagles with the top roster? It’s not just their overall team rating-it’s the reveal today of the Madden 99 Club, an annual honor spotlighting the season’s top performers from last year, expected to dominate again. Out of seven players, two are Eagles: running back Saquon Barkley and offensive lineman Lane Johnson. Joining them are quarterbacks Josh Allen, last season’s MVP, and Lamar Jackson, the MVP two years back.

The elite list also features former LSU teammates Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase-Jefferson earning his third nod in a short career, while Chase becomes the first Bengals player ever in this club. The seventh spot goes to Browns’ defensive end Myles Garrett, the lone defender, though social media erupted over the snub of Broncos’ Patrick Surtain, last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, over Garrett, who won it two seasons ago. I get Garrett’s case, but skipping the current DPOY feels off.

Notably, the Chiefs-coming off their best regular season ever and a near three-peat-have zero 99-rated players this year, a drop from last season’s two (Mahomes and Travis Kelce). Mahomes had his weakest pro year with 3,928 yards and 26 touchdowns, while Kelce hit career lows with 3 touchdowns and 823 yards. Their defense carried them last year, but this snub could light a fire under Mahomes for a redemption run-ironic for a dynasty with three straight Super Bowl appearances and five in six years.