The Madden ratings have gained notoriety in recent years. They've become a badge of honor (or sign for disrespect) for players, while fans can't wait to see what kind of grades their favorite team got. In the case of the Jacksonville Jaguars, there were a few pleasant surprises, but also a few questionable decisions.
For instance, nobody will bat an eye that Josh Hines-Allen got a 90 rating. After all, he's the Jags' best defensive player, and one of the top pass rushers in the whole league. On the other hand, Brian Thomas Jr. was granted an 84. Maybe a bit low, but understandable that he's only played one NFL season. Once he has another banner year, he should get to the high 80s or low 90s.
With that said, the video game franchise showed massive disrespect to Trevor Lawrence with the subpar rating it awarded him.
Jaguars' Trevor Lawrence will prove Madden wrong by becoming a top-10 QB
While Madden got most of their Jaguars ratings right, they dropped the ball when they gave Trevor Lawrence a 75 mark. However you look at it, that's too low. Granted, he's left a bit to be desired each of the past two years, and he was unremarkable last year.
However, that wasn't a reason to rank the former Clemson Tiger 23rd among his peers. He's got the same rating as sophomore Caleb Williams and third-year pro Bryce Young. Sure, Lawrence isn't currently a top-15 quarterback, but he's not worse than Russell Wilson.
Then again, Madden ratings, like many things in life, are subjective, and Trevor Lawrence will have proven them wrong by midseason.
Early in 2025 and up to Organized Team Activities, his rehab from an AC sprain was a reason for concern. Was he going to be able to bounce back? Lawrence answered the question with a resounding yes when he showed up at training camp at full strength. On top of that, he spent the offseason working one-on-one with head coach Liam Coen to fix his mechanics. Later, the duo focused on the fifth-year quarterback's progression.
By the preseason, Lawrence's improvement was noticeable, and although he didn't get much action, he showed that he's in a position to once again play like the signal-caller who took Clemson to the college championship game as a freshman.
In case you still have doubts about Lawrence's ability to play at a high level next season, keep in mind that the team's brass made upgrades to his supporting cast. They added Dyami Brown and Travis Hunter to a wide receiver corps that already included budding star Brian Thomas Jr. On top of that, the front office beefed up the offensive line, adding a couple starters and depth across the unit.
When you add it all up, Trevor Lawrence has a clear path to become a dark horse MVP candidate and help the Jaguars make a playoff push. Along the way, he'll prove the Madden programmers wrong... very wrong.