The “Welcome to the NFL” moment doesn’t always come on the field. Many of the Commanders’ rookies have instead been floored by their inclusion in EA Sports’ annual “Madden” video game. However, they have some complaints about how they are depicted.
The squad’s annual preseason training camp neared its dog days this week as shoulder pads came on and temperatures rose. But the allure of “Madden” ratings — released this week by EA Sports — provided a jolt for players who were fans of the game long before they became NFL prospects.
Third-round wide receiver Antonio Williams received a sneak peek at his ratings at the league’s “Rookie Premiere” event in May. He still wasn’t pleased with his standing ahead of the game’s release next week.
“It’s a lot of room to grow,” Williams said after a training camp practice this week. “They lowballed me, for sure.”
“Madden” ranks players’ attributes in a variety of areas — from big-picture categories like speed and strength to minutiae like long-snapping and catching in traffic — on a scale from 1 to 99.
EA Sports’ ratings gurus tabbed Williams as a 73 overall with 92 speed and 91 agility. It’s a solid, if unspectacular, starting point for the Clemson product. Star receiver Terry McLaurin, for reference, boasts a 91 overall with 95 speed.
“I believe I’m faster than 82,” fifth-round edge rusher Joshua Josephs said. “But they gave me an 82 strength; that’s crazy. I thought they would’ve labeled me as a finesse rusher.”
“My strength could be higher,” sixth-round running back Kaytron Allen said, moments after rattling the goal posts during a blocking drill. “I feel like that could be way stronger, for sure.”
Players have often been jilted by the “Madden” ratings throughout the game’s 38-year run as one of the most popular titles in gaming. But the impact has shifted for this generation, as more and more players openly admit to growing up with the franchise at home and continue to call themselves “gamers.”
“I’m still a ‘Madden’ player,” Williams confessed. “It’ll be cool to use myself and use the Commanders, get some wins.”
Their relationships with the game ebb and flow. Josephs described himself as a “Madden” obsessive in his teenage years but fell off as he grew busier. Sixth-round running back Kaytron Allen didn’t pick up the game until high school, quickly growing an appreciation for it.
“I never was a game kind of person, but now I kind of am,” the Penn State product said.
It let him connect with family and friends who were hundreds of miles away as Allen pursued his NFL dream.
“They were just kind of forcing me,” Allen noted. “When I was gone, I was playing games with the homeboys and all that.”
NFL life hasn’t fully struck Josephs, Allen and Williams yet. They all mentioned that they’re still waiting on a full “Welcome to the NFL” moment where the reality of their status connects.
Seeing themselves in one of the world’s most popular video games is a start, though.
“It’s just a blessing, man,” Allen said.
On the surface, “Madden” might lack the same gravity it once had for first-year players. College athletes are now able to profit off of their name, image and likeness. Most rookies over the last two years found themselves in EA Sports’ college football series before they made it to the NFL.
But the history and scope of “Madden” are different. It’s still EA Sports’ flagship franchise with billions of copies sold.
After Josephs signed dozens of autographs for fans following a training camp practice, he was forced to recognize that many of the young supporters would be using him in a virtual world later this month.
If the players didn’t notice their inclusion on their own, loved ones were quick to point it out.
“My friends used to be on me like that, boosting my head up,” Josephs said. “No lie, I’m blessed to be in a video game, just to be in this position.”
This year’s “Madden” releases on Aug. 13. Washington’s rookies likely won’t have time to play it on opening day. They’ll be preparing for a preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins on Aug. 14, Washington’s only home game before the regular season kicks off.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.