Penei Sewell still not a 99 in Madden makes no sense after 3 straight All-Pro seasons
Penei Sewell is a 98 in Madden after three straight First-Team All-Pro seasons. One recent rating makes that even harder to understand. Here’s why the Lions star still being outside the 99 Club just doesn’t add up.
The Madden 27 ratings have started to leak out, and the Detroit Lions have a problem. Not on the field, not in the front office, but in a video game. Penei Sewell, the Lions’ franchise left tackle, sits at a 98 overall rating. After three consecutive first-team All-Pro selections and a recent vote by coaches and executives who spoke with ESPN naming him the No. 1 offensive lineman in the NFL, Sewell still hasn’t cracked the 99 club. I get it, 98 is not bad. It’s not bad by any means. But what does a guy have to do?
The comparison that makes it sting
Here’s the thing. Trey McBride had a great year. First-Team All-Pro, arguably the best tight end in the league in 2025. Nobody is taking that away from him. But McBride went all the way up to 99 after one elite season. Sewell has strung together three straight All-Pro campaigns and earned the respect of the people who actually coach and evaluate offensive linemen for a living. If McBride’s single-season breakout warrants a 99, Sewell’s sustained dominance should have gotten him there by now.
And it doesn’t stop there. Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen are the only 99-rated quarterbacks. You can understand the respect for Stafford and Allen, but how does Patrick Mahomes not sit at 99 as well? I get that Mahomes is coming off an injury, but the body of work speaks for itself. The whole list feels incomplete.
The Lions should have more representation
Jahmyr Gibbs deserves to be in that conversation too. The Lions’ dual-threat running back has turned into one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL, and you could make a real case for him pushing toward that top tier. Detroit has built one of the most talented rosters in football, and the Madden ratings don’t quite reflect that.
To be honest, the 99 club should probably have at least five more guys on it. There are players across the league who have earned that distinction through consistent, elite-level play, and the current list feels thin. Sewell is the most glaring omission, but he’s not the only one.
Does any of this actually matter?
Look, I normally wouldn’t care too much about Madden grades. Everybody has their thoughts on the game. Is it good? Is it bad? Is it the same as it was 10 years ago? That’s a whole separate debate. But the ratings do reflect how the broader football world perceives players, and when the perception doesn’t match reality, it stands out.
Sewell has done everything you could ask of an offensive lineman. Three All-Pro nods, the top ranking from the people who matter most, and an anchor role on one of the best offenses in the league. If that resume doesn’t get you to 99, I genuinely want to know what does. Let’s see if Madden corrects this one before the season starts.
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