The four 99-rated players in Madden 20 have been revealed, and although the players added this year aren’t necessarily surprising, there are some notable absences to the list. Without further ado, here are this year’s entries into the Madden 99 Club.
Bobby Wagner
MLB | Seattle Seahawks
Super Bowl champion, Bobby Wagner, kicks off the list. Madden totes Wagner as “a beast against the run, dominant in pass coverage, [and] is one of the league’s premiere pass-rushing linebackers.” Not to mention, he has only missed, on average, roughly four tackles per season since 2015. Wagner’s Superstar X-Factor occurs with his zone Shutdown ability, which means when a receiver is in the zone that Wagner is covering, it’s highly advised to avoid throwing anywhere near that area. Wagner currently holds the record for the most recorded tackles in a Super Bowl (22), which he no doubt hopes to repeat this year with his Seattle Seahawks teammates.
Aaron Donald
RE | Los Angeles Rams
Considering that he’s won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards and is coming off a 20.5 sack season, Aaron Donald is probably the least surprising player to make the Madden 99 Club. His resume also includes a Pro Bowl appearance in all five of his NFL seasons. Opposing offenses have to base their entire gameplans around the 280-pound Donald purely due to his dominant presence on the field. Donald’s Superstar X-Factor is called Fearmonger Zone, in which he’ll be able to wreak havoc on quarterbacks even while being blocked by multiple offensive linemen.
Khalil Mack
LOLB | Chicago Bears
Remember when the Oakland Raiders decided to rid themselves of the “team plague” known as Khalil Mack? Poor ‘lil fellars. Mack rose above the drama and went on to absolutely dominate the NFC North as a foundational member of the Chicago Bears. His first year with the team solidified his role for likely years to come with highlight play after highlight play. His 2018 stat of six forced fumbles along with 12.5 sacks is certainly worthy of inclusion to the Madden 99 Club. Mack’s Superstar X-Factor, called Unstoppable Force, will force you to make sure to know exactly where Mack is lined up. If he’s matched up one-on-one with a blocker, you’d better be ready to get the ball out quickly, or Mack will overwhelm your quarterback.
DeAndre Hopkins
WR | Houston Texans
DeAndre Hopkins rounds out the list of this year’s Madden 99 Club inductees as the only offensive player, but it’s certainly an honor that was well-earned. When NFL fans think of spectacular catches made over the past couple of seasons, Hopkins no doubt makes every list. Get your defenses ready. Madden 20 puts it pretty plainly: “Brace yourself. DeAndre Hopkins is going to be virtually unstoppable in Madden NFL 20.” With a Superstar X-Factor called, Double Me, your secondary is going to be very busy. The “ability increases his success rate [even] on aggressive catches against single coverage.” There will probably be plenty of broken controllers resulting from Hopkins’ catches in triple-coverage.
It’s surprising that other game-breaker players such as Von Miller (97 OVR), J.J. Watt (97 OVR), Patrick Mahomes (97 OVR), and even Todd Gurley (97 OVR) didn’t quite make the cut this year. However, their ratings - along with every other player - will continually be adjusted throughout the season based on their performances in real life. There’s a good chance that some players might just break into the Madden 99 Club at some point, but we’ll have to wait for the season to play out.
Just be sure to keep an eye on players’ Superstar X-Factors while playing Madden 20, lest you suffer a last-second loss, or worse - a broken controller.
