Shedeur Sanders is preparing for his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns and is hoping to become a factor in the team’s starting quarterback battle.
The fifth-round rookie will have plenty of competition for the starting job. Cleveland has veterans Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett on the roster and spent a third-round pick on Dillon Gabriel before selecting Sanders.
How will the Browns’ quarterback battle shake out? It’s anyone’s guess, as the competition is easily the league’s most open.
That said, the release of EA Sports’ “Madden 26” will provide fans at least one view of the potential pecking order of Cleveland’s quarterback room.
Here’s what to know about Sanders’ initial Madden rating for his rookie season and how it compares to those of his fellow drafted quarterbacks.
Shedeur Sanders Madden rating
Sanders earned a 67 rating in Madden 26. That places him fourth among rookie quarterbacks in the game, behind only Cam Ward (72), Jaxson Dart (68) and Tyler Shough (68).
Notably, Sanders is rated better than Gabriel, who was drafted ahead of him. The third-round rookie earned a 66 overall, placing him fifth among the game’s rookie quarterbacks.
Rookie QB Madden ratings
Below is a look at the full opening ratings for the 13 quarterbacks selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Cam Ward: 72
- Jaxson Dart: 68
- Tyler Shough: 68
- Jalen Milroe: 65
- Dillon Gabriel: 66
- Shedeur Sanders: 67
- Kyle McCord: 66
- Will Howard: 64
- Riley Leonard: 65
- Graham Mertz: 61
- Cam Miller: 60
- Kurtis Rourke: 62
- Quinn Ewers: 63
Shedeur Sanders College Football 25 rating
Sanders had an opening rating of 93 overall in EA Sports’ College Football 25 video game, which was released ahead of his senior season at Colorado. He was the 17th-rated player in the game and the highest-rated quarterback, just one spot ahead of Georgia’s Carson Beck.
Sanders will be hoping to eventually reach similar heights in Madden as he seeks to prove himself at the NFL level.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shedeur Sanders Madden rating: How Browns QB compares to other rookies