Armed with a clipboard and his disarming personality, Clint Oldenburg readies himself for the questions. And on this particular Friday afternoon at Washington Commanders practice, there will be plenty.
The interrogators are the players themselves, and the topic of their consternation (in most cases) is both subjective and a cultural touchpoint: their Madden NFL 24 ratings.
"They care a lot," Oldenburg, a ratings adjuster and former NFL offensive lineman, told USA TODAY Sports. "In my mind, the Madden rating is kind of like their street cred out there."
That's why some players’ reactions to their initial ratings can be combative. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, upon learning he was an 87 overall, took to social media to display his displeasure.
"Throw your whole game away," he posted.
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Miami Dolphins corner Xavien Howard, asked if his 84 rating might be a sign he’s slept on, had a different response:
"(Expletive) them," he replied.
Almost all players want to have an overall rating of 90 (99 is the best) and above, Oldenburg said. Every one of them is naturally competitive, too.
"They have to have the mindset that they’re the best at their position, in many cases," Oldenburg said. "And that mindset doesn’t change Madden ratings."
Speed kills (them)
By far, the attribute players complain about the most is their speed, Oldenburg said.
Commanders receiver Curtis Samuel approached Oldenburg with a peace offering: He didn’t want to talk about his overall rating, just his speed. Other guys with a slower 40-yard dash time, Samuel claimed, have higher speed ratings than him.
"They’re fast," Samuel told Oldenburg. "They’re not faster than me."
Oldenburg scanned his sheet and relayed that Samuel had a 94 speed rating. That’s not good enough for Samuel. He wants to be a 95 or 96 – minimum.
"82 overall," Samuel said, looking at Oldenburg’s clipboard. "I’ll take it."
Defensive tackle Jonathan Allen sauntered toward Oldenburg.
"That’s what I need to talk to you about," Allen told Oldenburg. "My speed."
As more defensive linemen swarm Oldenburg, Montez Sweat had a bone to pick about speed as well.
"They told me you are slow," Oldenburg said, ratting out Sweat’s linemates who were looking to get a rise out of him.
It works.
"That’s (expletive)!" he jokingly yells before ducking inside.
Then, left guard Chris Paul said he was the fastest offensive lineman in the league.
Rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes had a question for Oldenburg about – you guessed it – his speed. He also felt disrespected by his catch rating for somebody who returned six of his 14 career interceptions at Mississippi State for touchdowns. Oldenburg assured him he would investigate.
How are Madden ratings adjusted?
The conversations follow a typical script.
A player complains about a certain attribute or his overall rating. Oldenburg explains how they arrived at the rating and all of the metrics the Madden team has already incorporated into the number.
The 40-yard dash time recorded at the NFL scouting combine plays a significant factor. The ratings adjustment team has access to Next Gen Stats – which utilizes a tracking system to calculate players' on-field speed – and all anecdotal evidence at its disposal.
"So that’s where I usually leave it to them," Oldenburg said. "I say, ‘If you have evidence that we’re not aware of that can show us you’re a bit faster than what we have you at, then by all means, tell me about it or show it to me.’ And we’ll take a look."
Madden ratings adjusters are a group of 10 full-time employees who perform those duties on top of normal game development jobs. (Oldenburg, for example, is a production director.) Former NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco is the public face of Madden’s ratings system, however.
"It’s just made up of these people who are super passionate, have a super unique intelligence or knowledge about some part of the game," Oldenburg said.
They find practice more useful than games, in some cases, because they can evaluate the entire roster.
Adjusters will take into effect what players tell them. Oldenburg likes to ask which player on their team is underrated. At Commanders camp, that player was Daron Payne, with his 83 overall deemed too low by his teammates.
Ratings are subjective and always evolving, Oldenburg said. The best tool available for a ratings adjuster is flexibility. Updated ratings are released weekly.
"By next Thursday, we’re going to put another update out, and if you’ve shown something on the field that supports you saying that you should be better, we have the ability to update it pretty quickly," Oldenburg said. "So that’s kind of an underrated, if I may, aspect of the ratings adjusters."
Why Madden matters to NFL players
For some players, like Commanders offensive lineman Mason Brooks, being in the game is a sufficient status symbol.
"I would just like to be in Madden," Brooks, an undrafted free agent who was waived by the team in August but later placed on the practice squad, told Oldenburg. "You can give me a 12."
He did have some specific requests, however.
"Can you give me a beard? And a mullet?" Brooks asked, hoping to mimic his camp look.
Oldenburg said he’d do his best, and in the latest update, Brooks was added to the Commanders’ roster (65 overall).
Most players grew up playing Madden, including the player on this version’s cover, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who would game with his brother and father.
"That’s how I learned the rules – the basic coverages of a defense, the basic offensive concepts," Allen said on the "Pardon My Take" podcast.
Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre said the plays in the game often mimic the ones offensive coordinators are choosing.
Commanders receiver Jahan Dotson didn’t necessarily agree, saying he learned more from his coaches. But he has played a lot of Madden, he added, so it’s possible.
Because of Dotson’s familiarity with the franchise, he took issue with his overall rating and said he’d have to speak with Ochocinco.
"Yeah, I'm not a big fan of it at all, to be honest with you … but we'll deal with it for now," Dotson said.
Even the cover athlete has issues with at least one aspect of his rating.
"I should be one of, if not the, strongest quarterback," Allen said. "They had me a little weaker."
