When the world is not watching football, they are often experiencing it digitally. The annual Madden video games have become a staple in the NFL world. One part of the game is who is in the 99 Club, meaning which players earned the highest possible rating. However, for this year’s Madden 27, many are not happy with who is in the club.
Why Is the NFL World Annoyed at the 99 Club?
Many were not fans of the choices revealed in the 99 Club, as one account on X said, “The 99 Club has turned into a joke.”
However, the biggest player who got criticized for being there is Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
The 99 Club has turned into a joke https://t.co/7GXpwEW5aZ
— STONE (@stone_2x) July 27, 2026
One account named “Maye is King” took a dig at the Bills quarterback by writing his name with a photo of a polar bear. This is a famous meme of a polar bear on a street, usually with the caption “What the hell is a polar bear doing in Arlington, Texas?” It is meant to show that something does not belong.
Another account on X shared a meme expressing that they felt Allen was out of place. As they said, “Josh Allen in there like” along with a famous meme photo of a clown in a line of military guys. It shows that this user is out of place with players such as Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Myles Garrett and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.
Josh Allen in there like pic.twitter.com/TVmInwbTsy
— Office Chair Sports (@OCSportsHQ) July 27, 2026
Another person chimed in with this saying on X: “Why the hell is Josh Allen here?”
Allen being 99 in 27 means that he has been rated 99 in multiple Madden games. This puts Allen in company with other legendary NFL quarterbacks: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Patrick Mahomes.
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Onyx Odds’ account on X revealed that each of these quarterbacks, except Allen, has won at least one Super Bowl. Also, all of these quarterbacks, besides Allen, have multiple MVPs.
NFL QBs with multiple Madden 99 ratings:
Peyton Manning (5x MVP, 2x SB)
Tom Brady (3x MVP, 7x SB)
Aaron Rodgers (4x MVP, 1x SB)
Patrick Mahomes (2x MVP, 3x SB)
Josh Allen (1x MVP, 1x ring from Hailee Steinfeld) pic.twitter.com/9izFBOyLbS— Onyx (@OnyxOdds) July 27, 2026
“McBride is ehhhh So Is Stafford But there is no way after that season Josh Allen should be there,” wrote DMac Wake on X.
Being unsure whether Trey McBride will be there is an interesting stance. For starters, last year, McBride broke the record for most catches in a season as he recorded 126 catches. This surpasses legendary tight ends such as Jason Witten, Travis Kelce, and Tony Gonzalez.
McBride is ehhhh
So Is StaffordBut there is no way after that season Josh Allen should be there https://t.co/r4QyW2gvxo
— DMac Wake (@DMacWake316) July 27, 2026
The second point is that McBride was the highest-graded tight end, with a 92.4 grade on PFN’s TE Impact Metric. The second-rated tight end, George Kittle of the San Francisco 49ers, got an 82.4 grade. This means that McBride graded out 10 points higher than second place, showing how dominant he was last year.
One social influencer thought that Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba being there was questionable. As they said on X, “Again, how does JSN become a 99 after one really good year, but PS2 (Patrick Surtain II) wasn’t a 99 after winning DPOY?”
again how does jsn become a 99 after one really good year but ps2 wasn’t a 99 after winning DPOY? https://t.co/itJ5qew2oJ
— 🎮 (@TOUGHTlME) July 27, 2026
There is a case to be made that Denver Broncos’ star cornerback Surtain should have made it last year. However, after a season with 1,793 receiving yards and ten touchdowns, Smith-Njigba does deserve his spot.
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Allen was not the only quarterback being questioned, as Matt Couture said, “Stafford being a 99 is so disrespectful to guys like Garrett and Chase.”
Stafford being a 99 is so disrespectful to guys like Garrett and Chase https://t.co/LgOOYAFu4N
— Matt Couture (@MattCouture5) July 27, 2026
Another account pointed out that some quarterbacks are missing. The account said, “Bro, how is Josh Allen 99 and not Mahomes or Lamar?”
Allen is often compared to Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens. However, Mahomes and Lamar both had down years.
In conclusion, the negative reception is a bit surprising. Each of the 99 club members has shown excellent traits on the field.
