Now that the Madden 21 ’99 Club’ has been revealed, which two superstars would you build around?
The ’99 Club’ for Madden 21 has officially been unveiled in its entirety, and it includes five current superstars.
THE #Madden21 99 Club! ??
(@CMC_22 | @Cantguardmike | @PatrickMahomes | @BumpNrunGilm0re | @AaronDonald97) pic.twitter.com/PMPM96Ro4W
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) July 17, 2020
But of these five NFL standouts, which two would you pick to build your franchise around?
Let’s check the credentials of each before you make your decision:
A. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City, QB
Why you want him: He is the consensus best quarterback in the NFL, evidenced by the historic 10-year, $503 million contract extension he signed last week.
HALF A BILLION.
Patrick Mahomes and the #Chiefs have agreed on the richest deal in sports history. ??
[10-yr extension worth $503 million] pic.twitter.com/QofZfy11Tj— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) July 6, 2020
In his first full year as a starter in 2018, Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game and was named league MVP after the season. Last year, he took it a step further, leading the franchise to its first Super Bowl win in 50 years and claiming Super Bowl MVP.
In his two full seasons as a starter, Mahomes is averaging 4,564 passing yards per season (304.3 per game over 30 games) and 38 TDs per season. He is a 2-time Pro Bowler and was named First Team All-Pro in 2018.
The only QB with more than six TD passes of 50+ yards in the last two seasons?
That’d be @PatrickMahomes. He’s got 11. (h/t @PFF) pic.twitter.com/qq5so1TBaa
— NFL (@NFL) July 15, 2020
B. Christian McCaffrey, Carolina, RB
Why you want him: If there is one player in the NFL that can do it all on the offensive side of the ball, it might be McCaffrey.
You’re not catching @run__cmc!
Christian McCaffrey goes 71 YARDS for the TOUCHDOWN. #KeepPounding#MIAvsCAR pic.twitter.com/jyY61kOJhd
— NFL (@NFL) August 17, 2018
In 2019, McCaffrey recorded one of the greatest seasons for a running back in league history, recording 1,387 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs, alongside 1,005 receiving yards and 4 receiving TDs.
He became only the third player in NFL history to record 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in the same season, joining Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk.
For his efforts, he was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl and was named First Team All-Pro.
Christian McCaffrey scores another touchdown. What else is new? @run__cmc #KeepPounding
?: CBS
?: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app
Watch free on mobile: https://t.co/d6meepU6Nz pic.twitter.com/RA6ukl51s4— NFL (@NFL) October 6, 2019
C. Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Ram, DT
Why you want him: An argument could be made that Donald is the most dominant player in the NFL today, considering this is his fourth consecutive season earning a 99 overall rating in Madden.
For the fourth season in a row, Aaron Donald is in the @EAMaddenNFL 99 Club! ? pic.twitter.com/9I0reiOf39
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) July 15, 2020
In six professional year, Donald has racked up 72 sacks from the defensive tackle position, unseen numbers for an interior lineman. He led the league in sacks in 2018 with 20.5.
He has been named First Team All-Pro in each of the past five seasons, and he’s been named to the Pro Bowl every year since entering the NFL.
In 2017 and 2018, he was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Aaron Donald tops the list of the highest-graded defenders of 2019 ? pic.twitter.com/DlC52Fv0Fo
— PFF (@PFF) July 17, 2020
D. Stephon Gilmore, New England, CB
Why you want him: Last season, opposing quarterbacks learned that throwing the ball in Gilmore’s direction usually led to him getting his hands on it, one way or another.
Stephon Gilmore last season:
• 20 passes defended (most in NFL)
• Six interceptions (tied for most in NFL)Now he’s in the 99 Club. #Madden21 @eamaddennfl pic.twitter.com/aKKIwsUjuc
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 16, 2020
Gilmore’s dominance in the secondary earned him Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019, becoming the first defensive back to win the award since Troy Polamalu won it in 2010 with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 2018, he played a key role in helping the New England Patriots win their sixth Super Bowl, and the 3-time Pro Bowler has been named First Team All-Pro in each of the last two seasons.
These angles of Stephon Gilmore’s punch out in Super Bowl LIII are crazy ? @BumpNrunGilm0re @Patriots
(h/t @CoachDanCasey) pic.twitter.com/lkZE8lolan
— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) May 12, 2020
E. Michael Thomas, New Orleans, WR
Why you want him: There might not be a receiver with a more reliable pair of hands in the NFL today.
Since Thomas came into the league in 2016, he has has been a machine. Last season, he became the first receiver to win the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award since Jerry Rice in 1993.
Congrats to the 2019 Receiving King, @Saints WR @Cantguardmike! pic.twitter.com/gjDf3PKSMw
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 30, 2019
He has led the NFL in receptions each of the past two seasons, and in 2019, he set an NFL record for most receptions in a single season with 149. His league-leading 1,725 receiving yards put him in a class of eight receivers all-time to record 1,700+ receiving yards in a season.
He was named First Team All-Pro in each of the past two seasons and is a 3-time Pro Bowler.
He earned it back: TOUCHDOWN. CANT. GUARD. MIKE!#Saints | @CantGuardMike pic.twitter.com/9olK1V1oe0
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 22, 2019
So, which two guys would you build around?
Let us know on Twitter and Instagram!
You have to pick two of these players to build your team around. Who are you going with? ? pic.twitter.com/N6siZEV7Nj
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) July 17, 2020
