EA has not yet announced when player ratings for Madden 26 will be revelaed. But with just a few weeks until the game's launch, we do expect them to come soon.
Player ratings in Madden are often a subject of great debate and that will surely be the case again this year, especially with so much young talent across the league. EA has acknowledged that it bases its player ratings on a combination of real-world performance data, scouting reports, and subjective evaluation. Longevity can also play a role in determining a player's rating, as it ensures a single-season performance was not just a fluke. And typically, injuries are not taken into account.
With that said, we're offering our own prediction on the top rated quarterbacks in Madden 26. Let us know if you agree!
5. Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)
Jalen Hurts honestly doesn't get enough credit for what he brings to the position. In his five seasons in the NFL, he has been to two Super Bowls and won one. Last year, he was named the Super Bowl LIX MVP after leading the Eagles to a 40-22 victory over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. You can argue that Hurts has an incredible surrounding cast, but that shouldn't detract from what he brings to the field, and ability to beat you with his arm and his legs.
Hurts ended the season rated 87 overall, which was good enough for the sixth best quarterback in Madden 25, behind Jared Goff for the top five. I suspect EA will give him a slight boost to 88 or 89 overall, giving him a spot as a top-five rated quarterback in Madden 26.
Overall Rating Prediction: 89 OVR
4. Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
There's no denying Patrick Mahomes is one of the most talented quarterbacks in the league. He's also the most frustrating to watch your team play against as a fan because he just always finds a way to win. Last season was considered a down year for Mahomes who threw for a career-low 3,928 yards and just 26 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. But he's got history on his side, and he's thrown for over 4,000 yards in every season since 2018.
While his touchdown to interception ratios have been pretty bad for 2023 and 2024, it hasn't really affected EA's view of Mahomes as a top five quarterback. In Madden 25, Mahomes finished as the fourth-best-rated quarterback with 95 overall. I believe he'll still retain that spot among the top tier, but I could see a slight downgrade in his overall to maybe something like 93 or 94.
Overall Rating Prediction: 94 OVR
3. Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals)
Joe Burrow put up video game-like numbers last year, throwing for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns to just 9 interceptions. He doesn't run as much as the other top quarterbacks on this list, but he doesn't have to, not when he's got the best receiving tandem in the league in Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to throw to. Burrow is probably the best pure pocket passer on this list and I expect he'll have some of the highest accuracy ratings.
In Madden 25, Burrow was the third-best-rated quarterback with 96 overall. That feels like a good place for him to begin Madden 26.
Overall Rating Prediction: 96 OVR
2. Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
Josh Allen is one of the most explosive playmaking quarterbacks in the NFL and literally put an offense with no legitimate No. 1 receiver on his back last year. 2024's NFL MVP (though not without some debate), Allen threw for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions. He added an additional 531 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground. While his overall passing yardage was down, he put up a career-best touchdown to interception ratio.
Last year, Allen finished Madden 25 with a 98 overall rating, one point behind Lamar Jackson. But I could see an argument for him being at least tied with Jackson with a 99 overall. EA tends to stick pretty closely with ratings from the previous year, so I could see them keeping Allen at a 98 overall. However, given his MVP award and the stats he put up, I do hope he joins the coveted 99 Club.
Overall Rating Prediction: 98 OVR (but I'm hoping for 99 OVR)
1. Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens)
Lamar Jackson put up the best numbers of his career last year, throwing for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. He racked up another 915 yards and four touchdowns with his legs. Lamar Jackson is the most dangerous, dual-threat quarterback in the league, and there's a legitimate argument to be made that he should've been last year's NFL MVP.
In any case, I don't think he'll be snubbed when it comes to his Madden 26 rating. I think Jackson maintains his 99 overall in Madden 26, making him the top-rated quarterback in the game.
Overall Rating Prediction: 99 OVR
Keep in mind, that these are just the initial launch ratings predicted for Madden 26, and a lot of it is based on last year's final numbers. Typically, EA sticks pretty close to the previous year's ratings, although the numbers can change quite drastically throughout the year.
For example, the top five quarterbacks at the launch of Madden 25 were Mahomes (99 OVR), Jackson (98 OVR), Burrow (93 OVR), Allen (90 OVR), and Prescott (90 OVR). That list looked quite different by the end of the year with Jackson and Allen as the two-top rated quarterbacks, followed by Burrow, Mahomes, Goff, and Hurts.
Do you agree with the current predictions for Madden 26's top quarterbacks?