Madden NFL 26 has officially landed, and with it comes the much-anticipated reveal of the game’s top-rated players. At the top of the mountain of QBs sit Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson, leading the pack with their elite skills, while Joe Burrow isn’t far behind. It’s a tight race at the top, and now that EA has unveiled all the ratings, fans can get the full picture of the ranking. But what really turns heads this year is a surprising new addition.
As a part of the $39 billion valued EA Sports player ratings, which is being revealed throughout the week, Thursday’s update came with specialists, along with the highest-rated Chargers star revealed so far. And it was Long snapper Josh Harris who tied for the top spot at his position with an 81 overall rating. On the other hand, punter JK Scott came in sixth among his peers with an 80. Kicker Cameron Dicker wasn’t far behind, earning a 79.
During the latest press conference, Harris didn’t hesitate to respond when asked about being the highest rated. While expressing his excitement, he also shed the spotlight where it was needed for quite some time.
“I’m just glad that snappers are finally included in the game and that we’re being represented at our position. For years, all the snappers were just listed as tight ends, so it’s really cool to see the position getting the recognition it deserves. There are so many guys out there doing it at a high level, and it’s great to see that acknowledged. My kids thought it was really cool, too. I might even activate the code we get and hang on to this copy of the game just for them as they get older, it’s pretty special,” Harris said before praising his entire unit.
And it is cool indeed. Quarterback Justin Herbert received an 86, which ties him for seventh-best among all quarterbacks league-wide. While that number might feel a bit modest to Chargers fans, it still places him among the top tier at the position. Before that, we got a look at the rookie ratings.
The first-round pick, Omarion Hampton, had a 77 overall, making him the second-highest-rated rookie running back. He was followed by second-round pick Tre Harris, who received a 72 overall. Among position players, other Chargers‘ stars lead the way with a 93 overall. This is the top rating for strong safety in the game.
Rashawn Slater and Derwin James Jr. lead the way for the Chargers
Rashawn Slater continues to prove why he’s one of the premier left tackles in the NFL. Standing at 6’4″ and weighing 315 pounds, Rashawn Slater was rated a 93 overall in Madden NFL 26. If anything, the Los Angeles Chargers lineman’s performance in 2024 explains why he deserved the spot. Slater earned a 90.9 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, becoming one of only two tackles and six total offensive linemen to cross the 90 mark among players with at least 500 snaps.
As per PFF data, he played without help on roughly 65% of his pass-blocking snaps last season and was named No. 15 overall on PFF’s Top 50 players list, compiled by Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema. In fact, only 12 players in the past four seasons have posted a grade of 90.9 or higher.
That same level of dominance applies to the other side with Derwin James Jr., another Chargers’ star who also holds a 93 overall rating in Madden NFL 26. At 6’2″ and 215 pounds, Taken 17th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft, he made an immediate impact, earning First-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie with 105 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 passes defended, and three interceptions. He’s remained one of the league’s most complete defensive players. So, his Madden rating doesn’t come as a surprise. This is quite an impressive way for the Chargers to kick off the 2025 season.
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