Highest Rated Bills in Madden History, From Ruben Brown to Josh Allen

Josh Allen is the highest rated Bills player in Madden history. He hit a 99 overall in Madden NFL 26 and kept that 99 in Madden NFL 27. Behind him, the top confirmed Bills ratings are Ruben Brown and Mario Williams at 97, with Takeo Spikes and Lawyer Milloy at 96. Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas are reported as 99s in 1990s editions, and the table below explains why that matters.

Complete list of the highest rated Bills in Madden

The table covers every Bills rating of 89 or higher that we could confirm, sorted by overall rating. All numbers are launch ratings unless noted. It isn’t a complete record of every Bills rating ever, because EA has never published a full historical archive. Each row is backed by a published rating.

Where the top numbers come from

For Madden NFL 26, Allen earned a 99 overall rating for the first time in his career, and the only other 99 quarterback is Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson. A year later, coverage of the Madden 27 99 Club noted that for a second consecutive season, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Los Angeles Rams defensive end Myles Garrett are members.

The early-2000s numbers come from year-by-year team breakdowns. In Madden 2003, the Bills had left guard Ruben Brown at 96, fullback Larry Centers at 93, and middle linebacker London Fletcher at 90. In Madden 2004, Ruben Brown and Drew Bledsoe both had rating increases after their Pro Bowl seasons with their ratings increasing to 97 and 91 respectively.

Heads up: Ratings from before the mid-2000s were built on a different scale, with more players clustered in the 90s. A 96 in Madden 2005 is not the same achievement as a 96 today.

Josh Allen’s Madden rating by year

Allen’s rating climbed in eight of nine editions, from a 74 overall rookie card to back-to-back 99s. No other Bills player in the modern era has a run like it. Here is the full progression.

The Madden 19 through Madden 26 values come from a published year-by-year breakdown, which notes that Allen’s climb to the top tier of Madden ratings has been steady and consistent, with only a one-year decline. The Madden 27 number is listed as 99 OVR (2026 NFL season, BUF).

What made the 99 card a 99

The 99 in Madden 26 wasn’t only about accuracy. His card showed Throw on the Run 99, Throw Power 98, Break Sack 98, Throw Accuracy Short 97, plus speed in the high 80s. His archetype was listed as Improviser – QB, which matches how he plays on the field.

That profile matters on the sticks. Deep accuracy (90) and mid accuracy (88) were his lowest passing numbers, so the card plays best when you extend plays and throw on the move. Pure pocket passing, where Joe Burrow’s card is better, isn’t where he shines.

The Madden 26 reveal

The Bills made the reveal a team moment. The club’s announcement called him your newest inductee to the Madden 99 Club, and when asked for a speech, Allen had two words: “Go Bills.” The 99 followed an MVP season in which he completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns to six interceptions.

Pro tip: If you’re tracking Allen’s rating during the season, check the same week number each time. Madden 27 roster updates change ratings weekly, and one database already lists him as most recent rating 99 Madden NFL 27, Week 8.

Notable entries and why they matter

The most important names on the list are Allen, Bruce Smith, Ruben Brown and Mario Williams. Between them, they cover the old-scale 99s, the best lineman card in team history and the best modern pass rusher. Each one tells you something different about how Madden has rated Buffalo.

Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas, the disputed 99s

Bruce Smith is the reason the “first Bills 99” question has no clean answer. One report on Allen’s Madden 26 rating said he is just the second Bills’ player in history to make the “99 Club,” joining Bruce Smith from Madden 99. A third-party ratings database also lists Thurman Thomas Madden 1997 · Bills · RB as a 99.

Other coverage leaves those cards out. One report said Allen is the first Bills player to achieve the honor in the 37-year history of the wildly-popular video game. The likely explanation is that the “99 Club” as a branded reveal event belongs to the modern era. Older 99s exist in the data, but they weren’t marketed that way.

Ruben Brown, the best lineman card

Ruben Brown is the highest rated Bills offensive lineman on record at 97 in Madden 2004. That’s 6 points above Dion Dawkins’ 91 in Madden NFL 26, the best modern Bills lineman rating. On a PS2, Xbox or GameCube copy of Madden 2004, Brown is one of the best guards you can put in front of a run game.

Mario Williams, the top modern defender

Mario Williams joined Buffalo in 2012 and launched in Madden 13 at 97. EA’s own top-defender rundown that year ranked him tenth, and described the Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams: 97 overall as part of one of the strongest defensive fronts in the game. No Bills defender since has matched that number in the ratings we could confirm.

Spikes, Milloy and the 2005 defense

In Madden 2005, Takeo Spikes and strong safety Lawyer Milloy both were rated with a 96 overall. That made the 2004 Bills defense one of the best units to play with on that generation of consoles, even though the offense was rated much lower.

LeSean McCoy and the lean years

McCoy is notable for a different reason. In Madden 18, the Bills roster was led by LeSean McCoy at 92 overall, with Richie Incognito at 88 and Kyle Williams at 87 behind him. A 92 as the team’s best player shows how far the roster had to climb before the Allen era.

Patterns, records and trivia

The Bills have mostly been led in Madden by linemen, linebackers and running backs, not quarterbacks. Before Allen, Drew Bledsoe’s 91 in Madden 2004 was the best quarterback number in our table. Here’s a quick look at who led each edition we have data for.

Records worth knowing

• Most 99 seasons by a Bills player: Josh Allen, 2 (Madden NFL 26 and Madden NFL 27).
• Biggest single-year jump to a 99: Allen, +7 from Madden 25 to Madden NFL 26.
• Highest rated Bills offensive lineman: Ruben Brown, 97 in Madden 2004.
• Tied team leaders: Spikes and Milloy at 96 in Madden 2005.
• Attribute records: A third-party leaderboard lists LeSean McCoy Madden 2016 · Bills · RB with a 99 agility and Josh Allen with 99 throw power in Madden 2025.

Allen carries a thin roster

A star 99 doesn’t always mean a stacked team. In Madden NFL 26, the Bills have just two players over 90 overall, MVP QB Josh Allen (99, X-Factor) and left tackle Dion Dawkins (91). Even so, the Bills are rated as the fourth-best team in the NFL in that edition. Cook added an 89, and Allen joined a small group, as one of seven players to sport an overall rating of 99 in the game.

Trivia that keeps coming up

The O.J. Simpson question comes up often. Madden began in 1988, a decade after his Bills years, so he never had an active-player card. One writer joked that maybe if Madden had existed in the ’70s, O.J. Simpson would’ve earned a 99.

Another one: Allen didn’t hold the 99 alone. Lamar Jackson matched him at quarterback in Madden NFL 26, and Joe Burrow was third at 97.

Common mistakes when comparing Bills Madden ratings

The biggest mistake is comparing raw numbers across eras. A 96 in Madden 2003 and a 96 in Madden NFL 26 mean different things, because rating formulas and spread have changed many times. Here’s how to avoid the usual traps.

Mixing launch ratings and roster updates

Launch ratings are what EA reveals before release. Roster updates during the season move them. A player can launch at 88 and finish the season at 93, or the reverse. All-time lists, including ours, use launch numbers unless a row says otherwise.

Treating Ultimate Team cards as roster ratings

Madden Ultimate Team releases program cards rated well above a player’s real roster rating. A 99 Ultimate Team Bruce Smith legend card isn’t the same thing as Bruce Smith’s rating in Madden 99. Use roster ratings when you’re settling arguments.

Trusting leaked numbers

Before the Madden NFL 26 reveal, a widely shared leak claimed Madden 26 is about to hand Josh Allen a 98 overall. The official number was 99. Wait for EA’s reveal before quoting a rating.

A decision rule for era comparisons

Use rank in the game, not the raw number.

1. Find the player’s overall rating in that edition.
2. Find where that rating ranks at his position in the same edition.
3. Compare ranks across eras, not overalls.

Worked example: Say you want to know if Mario Williams’ Madden 13 card was better than Dion Dawkins’ Madden NFL 26 card. Williams was a 97 and ranked tenth among all defenders in that game. Dawkins was a 91 and the Bills’ second-best player. Williams was elite across the whole league, while Dawkins was elite on his own team. The 6-point gap understates the difference.

Pro tip: When a friend says a Madden 2004 lineman was “better than anyone today,” check how many players in that game rated 95 or higher. If there were dozens, the number tells you less than it seems to.

How to find each rating in Madden

You can check current Bills ratings on EA’s official Madden ratings page or in the game itself. Older ratings require the original disc or a historical database. Here’s how each one works.

Current ratings in Madden NFL 27

1. Open EA’s official ratings page at ea.com/games/madden-nfl/ratings.
2. Filter by team and select the Buffalo Bills.
3. Sort by overall to see Allen at the top.
4. In the game, start a Franchise or Play Now game with Buffalo and open the team roster to see each player’s overall and attributes.
5. Download the latest roster update so you see in-season ratings, not launch ratings.

Older editions and platform differences

EA’s ratings page covers current editions only. For retired editions, the ratings exist only on the original game, so third-party databases are the practical way to look them up. Treat those as secondary sources.

Playing with these players today

In current Madden, retired Bills such as Smith and Thomas usually show up as Ultimate Team legend cards, not on the default Bills roster. Their card ratings depend on the program they were released in. To play Allen’s 99 card, pick the Bills in Play Now or start a Franchise with Buffalo.

Heads up: EA hasn’t said when Madden NFL 27 roster updates will end for the season. Until the final update, Allen’s 99 could still move.

FAQ

Who is the highest rated Bills player in Madden history?

Josh Allen holds the top modern rating with a 99 overall in Madden NFL 26 and Madden NFL 27. Bruce Smith and Thurman Thomas are reported as 99s in late-1990s editions, but those games used an older ratings scale.

Is Josh Allen the first Bills player to get a 99 overall in Madden?

It depends on the source. Several outlets reported him as the first Bills 99 when Madden NFL 26 ratings came out in July 2025, while others note that Bruce Smith earned a 99 in Madden 99.

What was Josh Allen’s Madden rating before he hit 99?

Allen was a 92 overall in Madden 25 and a 91 in Madden 24. His rookie rating in Madden 19 was 74.

Which Bills offensive lineman has the highest Madden rating?

Left guard Ruben Brown reached 97 overall in Madden 2004, which is the highest Bills offensive line rating in our table. Dion Dawkins was the top modern lineman at 91 in Madden NFL 26.

What was the highest rated Bills defender in Madden?

Among the ratings we could confirm, Mario Williams at 97 overall in Madden 13 is the top Bills defender of the modern era. Bruce Smith is reported at 99 in Madden 99.

Do Madden ratings change during the season?

Yes, EA updates ratings during the NFL season through roster updates, so a player’s launch rating can move up or down by week. Lists of all-time ratings usually use the launch number.

Sources

• Check Out The Top Rated Buffalo Bills Players In Madden 22 [LIST]
• Madden NFL Player Ratings
• EA SPORTS Madden NFL 26
• Buffalo Bills Official Site

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