Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are disappointed yet again at one of their players getting snubbed in the Madden rankings for the upcoming release of Madden 23. Before the start of every season, EA Sports releases it's annual ratings for players that will feature in the video game. Fans all across the NFL will have some sort of opinion on the ratings of their favorite teams' players.
Over the last few seasons, it seemingly has come up that fans of the Steelers have had more to say about their team's ratings compared to other fanbases around the NFL. By and large, these ratings mean virtually nothing when it comes to results that actually count during the season. But this week when Steelers running back, Najee Harris was asked about his Madden rating on The Rich Eisen Show, Harris did not have a whole lot to say about the poor overall rating that EA Sports had given him:
“That stuff just came out today, and I ain’t going to lie. I got tagged in it. I don’t even want to discuss it, I’m actually disappointed. Just play the game kids.”
Harris has a rating of an 85 overall, which puts him as the 15th ranked running back in the Madden 23 video game. Other notables just ahead of Harris in the rankings are Atlanta Falcons running back, Cordarrelle Patterson, New York Giants' Saquan Barkley, and the Cleveland Browns' backup running back, Kareem Hunt.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back, Najee Harris (22) participates in Organized Team Activities (OTA's) Tuesday May 24, 2022 at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. (Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
Harris then went on to say:
“They didn’t even put me in the top 10 for breaking tackles, let’s get something straight here, I broke a lot of tackles last year. It is what is, just play the game kids.”
Harris was given a rating of 88 in the 'break tackle' category, which does seem like a poor rating considering he was second in all of the NFL last season with 30 broken tackles. The only player with more broken tackles than Harris last season was Denver Broncos running back, Javonte Williams, who recorded 31.
Steelers' Harris breaking a tackle in Week 15 vs. Tennessee Titans // Photo Credit via Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO
Players across the NFL will express their displeasure with their ratings, along with the ratings of fellow teammates, but I believe Harris did a good job at defusing the question and making it seem like his rating did not phase him that much. You could sense some frustration in his voice while he was talking to Eisen about it, but overall, Harris did his part at staying neutral about the situation.
Many Steelers fans would side with Harris and say that the overall rating does not reflect what was seen by many on the field from Harris' rookie campaign last season. There would be a good argument that Harris should be one of the top 10 running backs in the rankings right next to where EA Sports places Dallas Cowboys running back, Ezekiel Elliott.
Other Steelers players that have been snubbed in Madden rankings
Most notably, T.J. Watt is a player still not given enough respect from EA Sports, even after winning the Defensive Player Of The Year in 2021. Watt was given a Madden rating of 96 which was still behind the Browns' infamous edge rusher, Myles Garrett who was given the highest score of 99. This seemingly does not make sense considering Watt recorded 6.5 more sacks than Garrett, all while starting in two less games than Garrett did as well.
Steelers' Diontae Johnson also missed the top 20 in the wide receiver category. This comes after a season where Johnson recorded over 1,100 yards and had 8 touchdowns, making his first Pro Bowl.
At the end of the day, we know these ratings mean nothing. These have nothing to do with what we will see on the field come Sunday's in the fall. But it is frustrating seeing the lack of respect Steelers players get from the national media. For a team that has not had a losing season in almost two decades, it seems that yet again, the Steelers are being overlooked going into the 2022 season.
I personally, love it. I think Mike Tomlin and the entire Steelers organization pride themselves on being the underdog and it brings out the best in them. For a young team like the Steelers will have in 2022, I would expect them to raise some eyebrows around the league and once again be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.
What do you think? Do you like Harris' comments on The Rich Eisen Show? Do you think we will prove those at EA Sports and around the league wrong when it comes to his Madden rating? Leave a comment in the comment section below!
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