Being rated "99" in EA Sports' Madden NFL franchise is a great honor for players and the fans of the teams on which they play. It would seem that four players — Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey, Aaron Donald, and Stephon Gilmore — received the honor this year. That information comes courtesy of a potential leak that made its rounds on social media over the weekend.
Madden 21 "99 Club." Who got snubbed? pic.twitter.com/0lSA0zAzzy
— LeadingNFL (@LeadingNFL) July 12, 2020
Look just past the "99 Club" members, and you will find San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, who fell short of the highest rating by only one point. According to the leak, and if accurate, this year's installment of the popular multi-platform football video game gives the 49ers tight end a 98 rating.
The rating for Kittle is good enough to match those received by wide receivers Michael Thomas and DeAndre Hopkins, putting the 49ers tight end in good company.
Most consider Kittle not only to be the 49ers' best player but the best tight end in the NFL. He is entering his fourth NFL season and is in line for a contract extension that will make him the highest-paid tight end in football. Of course, the new deal has been delayed due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding an offseason and scheduled NFL season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kittle hauled in 85 passes for 1,053 yards with five touchdown receptions in 2019, earning first-team All-Pro honors and his second Pro Bowl selection. It was his second consecutive season of over 1,000 yards receiving.
EA Sports plans to release Madden NFL 21 on August 25 on Windows, PlayStation 4, and XBOX One. It will feature Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson as the cover athlete.