Quarterback
Thankfully, due to Madden releasing their QB ratings, the Raiders can finally pick their starter. That was sarcasm, of course, because these ratings were already meaningless. However, once we take a look at the ratings, they will be absolved of any value whatsoever. Are you ready? I’m not sure that you are.
Gardner Minshew: 73 (T-28th)
Aidan O’Connell: 67 (T-49th)
Carter Bradley: 59
Anthony Brown: 57
Minshew being a 73 overall does not seem too ridiculous until you consider who is in his territory. He ranks far lower than Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, though his production last year indicates that he should rival them. He is below rookies Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels, and shares a rating with Bryce Young. He barely clears Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, and Will Levis. A horrible representation of his play.
Aidan O’Connell is a 67. This feels ridiculous and is even more so when you see who is ranked above him. Here’s a list of some of those guys: Bo Nix, Desmond Ridder, J.J. McCarthy, Sam Darnold, Michael Penix Jr., Jacoby Brissett, Josh Dobbs, Mac Jones, Sam Howell. All of those feel absurd, right? Well, it gets even worse. Jake Browning, Taylor Heinicke, Tyrod Taylor, and Zach Wilson are all rated higher than O’Connell too. What a gut punch. To make matters worse, he shares a rating with Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota, Spencer Rattler, and Tyler Huntley.
I can’t begin to explain how infuriating it would be to play Madden with the Raiders because of this, but oh well. O’Connell does not deserve this, and neither do Raider fans, so I think I’ll refrain from giving EA any more money until they figure out what constitutes good football. At least get the roster and positions right. Geez.