Two weeks away from Madden NFL 26 dropping, EA Sports has unveiled the seven players who make the up the 99 Club when the game launches.
This year’s class is headlined by Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Barkley was the first player named to the 99 Club in this year’s game when he was also announced as the cover athlete on June 2.
This also marks the third consecutive year a pair of teammates will be in the 99 Club at the game’s launch. There were two sets of teammates last year between the Kansas City Chiefs (Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce) and San Francisco 49ers (Christian McCaffrey, Trent Williams).
The Chiefs’ duo of Mahomes and Kelce were also in the 99 Club when Madden NFL 24 launched.
Johnson joins Williams, Jonathan Ogden, Walter Jones and Willie Roaf as the only offensive tackles in the 99 Club.
Per EA Sports, the seven players in the 99 Club are the most at launch since Madden 19 was released in 2018.
Ja’Marr Chase has also made history as the first Cincinnati Bengals player to receive a 99 overall rating. The Bengals were the lone remaining team to never have anyone achieve 99 Club status.
Jackson and Josh Allen, the reigning NFL MVP, are the sixth and seventh quarterbacks ever to make the 99 Club. Previous members include Mahomes, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees.
Jefferson and Myles Garrett are veterans at this whole thing. This marks their third time overall being in the 99 Club and second time at launch. Garrett first achieved 99 overall status via an in-season update for Madden NFL 22. Jefferson received the honor at launch for Madden NFL 24.
Madden NFL 26 will drop on Aug. 14 for the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and Windows. Gamers who pre-order the deluxe edition or MVP bundle, which also includes NCAA Football 26, will get early access starting on Aug. 11.
