Matthew Stafford has spent most of his career fighting the “underrated” label, and the Los Angeles Rams quarterback finally has a number that matches the respect he’s earned. In Madden 27, Stafford landed in the game’s exclusive 99 Club.
That puts him alongside Josh Allen as one of the two quarterbacks to receive a 99 rating. He’s also one of two Rams players in the group, joining Myles Garrett. Stafford and Garrett are the first players to hit 99 since Aaron Donald in 2023.
The latest ratings list gives the Rams another major name near the top of the board in Puka Nacua, who checked in at 98. There’s a case to be made that Nacua should have been a 99 himself, especially with Jaxon Smith-Njigba also getting the perfect mark.
The 99 Club remains one of Madden’s biggest badges of honor. Seven players made the cut when Madden 26 launched, but that number dropped to six this time around, with Stafford among the select few.
On paper, the rating makes sense. Stafford won MVP last season, threw a career-high 46 touchdowns and posted a career-high passer rating. Even so, plenty of people probably expected him to land in the low 90s rather than join the game’s most exclusive tier.
There was even some buzz heading into 2026 that Stafford or Nacua might land on the cover. Instead, Caleb Williams got the nod, which at least means Stafford and Nacua avoid the infamous “Madden Curse”.
The jump is a big one when you look back at Stafford’s recent Madden history. He opened Madden 26 at 88, and when he first arrived in Los Angeles in 2021, he was rated 83.
This is the first time since Madden 13 that he’s started a season with a 90-plus rating. His lowest mark came after 2022, when he was given a 75.
Ratings don’t decide games, but they do fuel plenty of offseason debate, and Stafford’s number is an easy one to talk about. At 38, he’s playing some of the best football of his career, and the Madden rating reflects that reality.
The question now is whether he can keep it. Ratings will shift week to week, and the Rams open with a tough stretch that includes the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Philadelphia Eagles in three of their first four games. If Stafford keeps playing at a 99 level, the Rams will be right where they expect to be.
In Other News...
Matthew Stafford Retirement Talk Just Got Very Real For Rams Fans
Matthew Staffords future suddenly feels like more than a routine offseason talking point after Kelly Stafford raised the possibility of retirement on a podcast, framing it around the pull of family life and the grind of an NFL career. For Rams fans, it is a reminder that the quarterbacks decision will not be shaped only by what happens on the field, but also by how much longer he wants to keep balancing football with life at home.
The Staffords have four daughters, all still young enough that weekend games and missed moments carry real weight, and that makes any conversation about the next chapter feel especially personal. Even with Stafford still operating at a high level, the question hanging over the Rams is whether the physical demands of the job and the family considerations around it eventually become too much to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Trade Idea Creates A Risky Problem For A Team In Win-Now Mode
A fresh trade idea has put the Rams tight end room under the microscope, and it comes with the kind of caution flag that usually matters most for a team trying to stay in the contender lane. Bleacher Reports Moe Moton floated a move that would send a productive pass-catching tight end out of Los Angeles for a mid-round future pick, a proposal built around the logic that the Rams could keep reloading while still aiming squarely at 2026.
The problem is that moving a proven contributor now would strip away a reliable piece from an offense that already has to balance present-day expectations with long-term planning. The Rams do have other options behind him, but the appeal of a draft asset has to be weighed against what this player already showed last season, when he was a meaningful part of the passing game and also delivered in the playoffs. For a team in win-now mode, that is exactly the sort of decision that can look smart on paper and risky on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Trade Idea Puts A Productive Young Receiver On The Block
A fresh receiver idea has surfaced for the Rams as they look for more stability behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Bleacher Reports Moe Moton floated a deal that would send a late 2027 draft pick to New England, a modest price for a player who has already shown he can help an offense without needing a featured role.
The appeal is easy to see from Los Angeles side. The Rams have their top two wideouts in place, but the third spot still feels like a place where the depth chart could use more certainty, and the suggested target would bring recent production to the table after a solid season in New England. For now, it remains only an idea, but it is the kind of move that fits a team trying to sharpen the edges of its passing game without paying a premium. [Read more 🡒]