It's one of the strangest days of the year when EA Sports releases the Madden player ratings for NFL players around the league. Inevitably, you've got a handful of players that are thrilled to be the top of their position group or even tops in the game. But more often than not, you've got confident individuals who are disappointed with the numbers they receive from Madden and feel disrespected by the rank they start the season with.
For Vikings second year wide receiver, it's more the latter but rather than gripe about it calling fowl towards the developers, Jefferson plans to use it as motivation to see his name move up the charts as the season goes and prove those who came up with the initial ratings wrong.
In 2021, Jefferson who was a rookie rolled in with a 74 overall rating. Then he blew the doors off the league breaking Randy's Moss' Vikings rookie receiving record on his way to breaking the NFL's record as well passing Anquon Boldin and finishing the year with 88 receptions, 1400 yards and 7 TDs. That was good enough for 4th in the league for receiving yards.
So when Electronic Arts released their list for the Top 10 receivers in their '22 version of the game, and Jefferson didn't see his name on the list. It was surprising.
Today, Jefferson commented on the ratings saying that he would use it as motivation to push him in 2021.
"That's more motivation for me," Jefferson said meeting the press for day one of Training Camp today. "I wasn't in any of the Top-Tens for the rankings so I've got something to prove this year."
Catch the full Training Camp preview conversation with Justin Jefferson HERE.