Seahawks have 11 players rated 80 or higher in latest 'Madden' but Sam Darnold isn't one

Is a career year enough to get a player over 80 overall in Madden? Apparently not. Seattle Seahawks QB Sam Darnold had a genuine breakout last year with the Minnesota Vikings, at times being included in MVP discussions.

However, it was apparently not enough to undo the several prior years of mediocre to downright awful play that Darnold showcased. Despite the most recent version of Darnold arguably being a star, he's not even 80 OVR in Madden. Several other Seahawks did break that threshold, though.

Seahawks get some love from Madden 26 ratings

There are 11 players who got 80 or higher for their overall ratings from Madden 26 ahead of the NFL season. Sam Darnold, at 77 despite his outstanding year in 2024, is not one of them. Most of them are on the defensive side, too.

At the top is cornerback Devon Witherspoon, an 88 OVR player. Running back Kenneth Walker III is tied for that mark as well. They're closely followed by 87 OVRs DeMarcus Lawrence and Leonard Williams.

Newcomer Cooper Kupp slots in with an 86, the same rating as Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Free safety Julian Love was also given an 86 OVR along with cornerback Tariq Woolen. Charles Cross and Michael Dickson, the punter, were 83 OVRs. Wrapping it up was linebacker Ernest Jones, an 80 overall.

Some notable omissions, including Darnold, were Zach Charbonnet, Jarran Reed, Jason Meyers, and Boye Mafe. Interestingly, not a single Seahawk got a 90 or better rating, though that can change when the season gets underway.