Top 5 rookie QB rankings on Madden 26 revealed

The Madden franchise has endured as the top video game franchise for football over the years. Being ranked as highly as possible has even become a badge of honor, recognizing what players who someone has become compared to against their peers.

It can be a little difficult to judge rookies, however. When players are just entering the NFL, all that the Madden ratings can initially go by is their college performance and projected future in the league. That’s, frankly, not much to go on given how many players don’t work out or become surprises once they get into the NFL. Still, it’s a worthwhile task to do, and it’s worth taking a look at, particularly with rookie quarterbacks.

Training camps are now underway all around the country, and Madden 26 is set to release on August 24th. With that, Jordan Schultz shared the rankings for the top five rookie quarterbacks in the upcoming game.

1. Cam Ward, 72 overall

After a college career that spanned three different colleges, moving up from the FCS ranks to the Miami Hurricanes by his final season, Cam Ward would be the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. So, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise that he’s the top-ranked rookie quarterback in Madden 26. After all, once Ward was selected, it wouldn’t be until the 25th pick when another QB came off the board.

Ward joins a Tennessee Titans team beginning a rebuild. It’s going to be a difficult position to be thrown into immediately. However, with Will Levis down for the entire season after surgery, it does seem like he’s going to be thrown in the fire early in the 2025 season.

2. Jaxson Dart, 68 overall

During his college career, Jaxson Dart helped make Ole Miss one of the most formidable offenses in the SEC. That included throwing for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns last season. He’d parlay that into becoming a first round NFL Draft pick for the New York Giants. He also managed to get a 68 overall ranking in his first appearance in Madden.

The New York Giants enter the 2025 season with an interesting quarterback situation. With Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Tommy DeVito all rounding out the quarterback room, there’s plenty of starting experience. That should, long term, be a good thing for Dart as he hopes to develop. For the short term, however, it likely means he’s going to have to battle for playing time.

3. Tyler Shough, 68 overall

Like many college quarterbacks today, Tyler Shough did his fair share of transferring. Having started his college career in 2018, Shough played at three different schools. That also makes him 25 years old already. Most recently, he spent his final college season at Louisville. There, he threw for 3,195 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Shough would eventually be selected in the second round of the NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. Madden thinks he’s in about the same realm as Jaxson Dart, who had gone in the first round, ranking both of them at 68 overall. They land in different situations in the NFL, though. One of four quarterbacks listed on the roster, none have much experience, so there’s a good chance that he starts early on in his career with the team.

4. Shedeur Sanders, 67 overall

In the NFL Draft itself, Shedeur Sanders was one of the more interesting players to follow. After largely being projected as a first round pick by experts, Sanders fell all the way to the fifth round of the draft. He’d also be the second quarterback selected by the Cleveland Browns. Despite that, Madden still seems to have some confidence in the rookie.

At 67 overall in Madden, Sanders is actually ranked ahead of the other Browns quarterback, Dillon Gabriel, who was selected ahead of him. In a crowded quarterback room, though one that lacks a clear starter, there have been some expectations that Sanders could compete for the job. For now, though, he hasn’t been working with the first team in Cleveland.

5. Dillon Gabriel, 66 overall

Dillon Gabriel had a long journey in college football. He’d start with UCF in 2019 before making the move to Oklahoma and later Oregon. During that time, he put up some massive numbers. The 24-year-old left school second all-time in passing yards and tied for first in passing touchdowns. That would help him, despite being undersized, become a third round NFL Draft pick.

Ultimately, Madden would rank Gabriel a 67 overall. That’s good for fifth among rookie quarterbacks. Notably, it’s behind Shedeur Sanders, though, who was selected by the Browns after Gabriel. The two are now, alongside some veterans, locked in a quarterback battle that’s going to be interesting to follow until Week 1.