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Madden 26 surprisingly rates Raiders higher than division rival

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 10:19 AM ET

No one is ever going to confuse Madden overall ratings for how players perform on the real gridiron.

Sure, there are some instances where the popular video game has played a role in influencing real-life football decisions (paging the New York Jets). However, with Madden’s history of being generous with the ratings of veterans over higher-ceiling young stars, a low overall is far from a death sentence on a player’s season. With dynamic overalls that move up and down as the season progresses, Madden often ends up better at reflecting the end results of a season than the beginning.

Despite the difference between domination on the real and virtual field, Las Vegas Raiders fans have at least something to chirp about against one of their divisional rivals.

The first team ratings for Madden 26 show the Raiders above one of their AFC West opponents.

When the initial team overall ratings for the Madden 26 beta dropped on Friday, the Raiders were in the bottom half with an 81 overall. However, the surprising aspect of the reveal was that the Raiders placed higher than the Denver Broncos, who were shockingly placed in the bottom five with a 79 overall.

Early #Madden26 Beta Team Ratings

WILD: The #Jets (86 ) have the same rating as the defending SB champion #Eagles and higher than the #Bills (85) pic.twitter.com/CkY9PAictP

— uSTADIUM (@uSTADIUM) June 20, 2025

This is certainly an unexpected development, given that the Broncos swept the Raiders last season for the first time since 2019 and doubled their rivals in wins with ten compared to the Silver and Black’s four.

However, what Madden does accurately depict is that the Raiders should be a more difficult out than last season. Veteran additions such as quarterback Geno Smith, running back Raheem Mostert and linebacker Germaine Pratt should provide a boost to the virtual version of the Raiders. The team should also be fun to play, with Ashton Jeanty being a force in the backfield and wide receiver Dont’e Thornton Jr. being a fun sleeper pick for players who prioritize speed.

The Raiders have something to poke fun at with their division rival, but do not be surprised if this ends up as bulletin board material when the two teams meet for real on Thursday Night Football in Week 10.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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