While the gaming world waits for the official Madden NFL 22 unveiling, there are several players the fanbase should keep an eye out for. Whether talking about quarterbacks who might be fun to play with in Franchise Mode, or some dark horse candidates for Madden Ultimate Team, there are some QBs who could fly under the radar that have potential. Whether talking about veterans that could be making a comeback, or rookies looking to make their own way in Madden and the real NFL, these quarterbacks could stand out from the pack.
There is one name that's heading to the NFL that was a little too obvious to spend a ton of time on. Former Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence was the first overall pick for the Jacksonville Jaguars and will undoubtedly be a quarterback to watch in Madden NFL 22. It's a safe bet that his ratings are going to be quite similar to Joe Burrow last year when he began his rookie campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals. He might be the only quarterback that starts out with a rating of 80 or higher, considering how well-loved he appears to be by NFL scouts. The question is who is going to join him in the group of quarterbacks to watch in Madden NFL 22.
Mac Jones Could Be A Spoiler In Madden NFL 22
Mac Jones went from being someone who some thought would be a Top 5 pick in the draft, to falling all the way to the New England Patriots. That might affect his ability to start in the real NFL, and it might also affect his rating in Madden NFL 22. Jones will be starting his career in both worlds as a backup to Cam Newton. Just how long he'll stay the backup is anybody's guess. The fact that he was Bill Belichick's first-round draft pick hints that the team thinks he's the quarterback of the future.
That's likely because he finished his career at Alabama by lighting up the scoreboard: Jones completed an amazing 77 percent of his passes for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns, to just four interceptions. All of those numbers are likely going to translate to a pretty good rating in Madden NFL 22. However, scouts cooled on the former Crimson Tide signal-caller once he'd shown off his wares in the official scouting combine. It will be interesting to see just where that has him land in his starting ratings.
Zach Wilson Looking To Fly High In Madden NFL 22
Zach Wilson joins Mac Jones and Trevor Lawrence as the most heralded rookie quarterback coming to the NFL and Madden NFL 22. Wilson has more in common with Lawrence than Jones because he's expected to take the helm of starting quarterback for the New York Jets right away. While the former Brigham Young quarterback had a very good season for the Cougars, it wasn't quite as awesome through the air as Jones. Wilson completed 73.5 percent of his passes for 3,692 yards, 33 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He's also fairly mobile, rushing for 254 yards last year and 642 yards in his three-year college career. He also added 10 rushing TDs last year.
All of that means he's likely going to have decent throwing ratings, but will also have pretty good numbers when it comes to running the ball. The thing to look at closely is that Madden NFL games tend not to rate very many rookie quarterbacks all that highly. Considering the Jets supporting cast isn't going to be great, he might get downgraded a bit in expectations of a less-than-stellar rookie season, even if he seems solid enough on his own.
Carson Wentz May Be On The Comeback Trail In Madden NFL 22
Carson Wentz isn't a rookie, but there is a reason to keep a close eye on his Madden NFL 22 rating. There was a time when Wentz was the hot young quarterback in the league, but his star got tarnished quite a bit last season. After a career-worst year in 2020, the quarterback has moved from Philadelphia to the Indianapolis Colts to take over after one season of Phillip Rivers. It's possible that a change of scenery and a change of supporting cast could help Wentz.
He's generally someone who is considered the best-rated quarterbacks in Madden. He finished Madden NFL 20 with an 82 overall rating and started Madden NFL 21 with an 84. However, his terrible 2020, where he completed just 57 percent of his passes and threw just 16 touchdowns to 15 interceptions saw his rating drop all the way to 72 by the end of the year. It will be interesting to see if he starts off that low in Madden NFL 22 or whether the ratings team gives him the benefit of the doubt and allows him to start in the 80s again.
Teddy Bridgewater Starts Anew In Madden NFL 22
Teddy Bridgewater is on his third NFL team in three years, this time potentially starting for the Denver Broncos. Denver traded for the veteran quarterback and claimed that he would likely sit behind Drew Lock, but there are some who think he can win the starting job by the end of the preseason.
His numbers with the Carolina Panthers last year weren't exactly impressive, throwing for 3,733 yards and 15 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. However, he also ran for 279 yards. The quarterback's Madden NFL 21 ratings started him at 75 overall and he was eventually able to push it up to a very respectable 78. That's a decent rise from his Madden NFL 20 rating, where he ended up with a 73. It's a safe bet that his overall rating will start closer to 78 and then will depend greatly on what he does with the Broncos.
Andy Dalton A Starter Again In Madden NFL 22
Andy Dalton is on his third team in three years, and looks to be returning to a starting role. Earlier this offseason, he signed as a free agent with the Chicago Bears after spending 2020 as a backup who was pressed into starting duty with the Dallas Cowboys after Dak Prescott was injured. His performance was... not bad. In 11 games, Dalton completed nearly 65 percent of his passes for 2,170 yards, 14 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
2021 will be his eleventh year in the league, and it's been a while since he put up any kind of numbers that could be considered formidable. Still, he's been handed the starting job for the Bears and he's got a decent offensive supporting cast. Last year, he both began and ended with a rating of 72. That was a precipitous drop from his Madden NFL 20 rating of 80. It will be worth watching where his Madden NFL 22 rating starts and finishes this season.