In the sport of American football, the most important position on a team is arguably the quarterback. This individual serves as the passer and leader of the team's offense but also is likely the face of an NFL franchise. In Madden, these elements are well-demonstrated considering how much of a spotlight they put on the position.
Of the quarterbacks on rosters in Madden NFL 21, only one quarterback has a 99 overall rating but six have a rating of 90 or above. If players are looking to compile a team with the best players, it's worth looking at the quarterbacks that make up the top of this video game franchise at the moment.
10 Deshaun Watson (90)
Of the top ten rated quarterbacks in Madden NFL 21 at the moment, it is hard to rank Deshaun Watson higher than this as the future of the quarterback is in question due to legal troubles. In terms of his recent play, the Houston Texans quarterback threw for a league-leading 4,823 passing yards last year. In the game, his overall rating is 90 with his best statistics being his throw power (93) and awareness (92). He also has a strong accuracy rating (89), agility rating (89), and speed rating (85).
9 Drew Brees (86)
The NFL world learned a few weeks after the NFL season was over that longtime New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees will be retiring from the NFL, making Madden NFL 21 the last game that he will be considered a regular player in the game. His last season was not so great, having thrown for 2,942 yards in 12 regular season starts. With an 86 overall rating, his only statistic to eclipse at least 90 is his awareness rating with 91. Many of his other statistics are rather lackluster, with only his throw power rating reaching 81.
8 Ryan Tannehill (87)
It's not rare to have a slow start to a career. It's even rarer to have that "slow start" last seven seasons before changing teams and making things finally click. That's what happened to Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill.
In his second season in Nashville, the veteran threw 33 touchdowns and 3,819 passing yards. In the video game, he has an 87 overall rating, with the highlights of his stat sheet being his awareness (90), throw power (89), and accuracy (88). His overall rating has improved by seven since the start of the 2020 NFL season.
7 Dak Prescott (87)
The Dallas Cowboys had a rough season that could be blamed for a variety of things, but probably the biggest factor was their star quarterback going down with a serious injury. Dak Prescott was on pace to shatter passing records in his five starts for the Cowboys in 2020, having already passed for 1,856 yards in that time frame. Those that missed Prescott were able to still play him in Madden where he has an 87 overall rating. Like the quarterbacks already listed, his throw power, awareness, and accuracy are his best attributes in the game.
6 Josh Allen (88)
On the other hand, the Buffalo Bills had one of its best seasons since the 1990s and a big part of it was the turnaround for their quarterback Josh Allen. The 24-year-old entered his third season as starting quarterback for the Western New York team and went from a punchline to an MVP candidate, exploding for 4,544 passing yards and 37 touchdowns with some crazy throws mixed in. The game has him at an 88 overall rating, which is an increase of 11 since the game first came out. His throw power is maxed out at 99.
5 Lamar Jackson (91)
When it comes to NFL discourse, no quarterback is more debated about than Baltimore Ravens quarterback and Madden NFL 21 cover star Lamar Jackson. He stands out among his fellow peers as an individual who truly embraces both passing and rushing on a frequent basis. Just last season, Jackson threw for 2,757 passing yards but ran for 1,005 rushing yards, the second time he went for a thousand in both. His Madden statistics also display his uniqueness, with his best attributes being his speed (96), accuracy (96), and agility (95). Jackson currently sits at a 91 overall rating.
4 Russell Wilson (95)
It is worth noting that there is a gap between the top four quarterbacks rated in Madden NFL 21 and the next six. The first of these higher-tier passers is Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Super Bowl champion had a strong start to the 2020 season that fell off at the end thanks to a shift in play-calling halfway through the season. Still, he finished 2020 with 4,212 passing yards and 40 touchdowns. With his overall rating of 95, Wilson's strength is his awareness (94) with throw power and agility tied at 92.
3 Tom Brady (96)
What more is there to say about Tom Brady? Sure, he's having a bit more downs than he did back when he was in his prime, but he is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He proved once again that he is still the king of the league by winning his seventh Super Bowl, his first with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady's attributes in Madden, however, are a bit interesting. His overall rating is 96 and his strengths are awareness (98) and throw power (91). However, his next best statistic is agility, which is set at a 70.
2 Aaron Rodgers (95)
The 2020 season was interesting for Aaron Rodgers as he entered it knowing he had a first-round rookie quarterback sitting behind him waiting to take his job if things turned south for the longtime quarterback. But instead of folding, Rodgers went off for 48 passing touchdowns with a 70.7 overall completion percentage. His performance earned him this year's MVP trophy, his third time earning that honor. Rodgers is sitting at a 95 overall rating after the game launched with him at 89, which shows how underestimated he was coming into the year.
1 Patrick Mahomes (99)
The only quarterback in the NFL with the coveted overall rating of 99 is none other than Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. His three seasons in the driver seat of the organization have made the team seemingly unstoppable, with only a few hiccups to show here and there. His third season was yet another display showing the NFL that he is here to stay, finishing with 4,740 yards and 38 touchdowns. In Madden NFL 21, both quarterback-centric stats of awareness and throw power sit at 97, making it the best average among quarterbacks in the game.