Madden 99 Club: Cowboys’ Zack Martin is first guard to earn honor in 20 years

Football fans, it’s that time of year! Madden NFL 24 is set to release next month, but before that comes the game’s highly coveted 99 Club reveal.

The 99 Club represents the highest video-game honor known to man — and the highest the game has to offer — signaling that a player has virtually no flaws at his position.

Wide receiver was the first position to have its ratings announced Monday, followed by defensive lineman on Tuesday and offensive lineman on Wednesday. The remaining positions will be unveiled throughout the week, including cornerback on Thursday and quarterback on Friday.

That said, who made the cut?

Let’s take a look at the members of this year’s Madden 99 Club.

Zack Martin, G, Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys star is the first guard to earn a 99 overall rating since Dallas legend and Hall of Famer Larry Allen achieved the honor in 2003. Martin has been one of the NFL’s best guards since he entered the league in 2014. He has been a Pro Bowler in eight of his nine seasons and has been named first-team All-Pro six times, including in four of the past five years.  

In a video announcing Martin’s 99 overall status, many NFL stars showered him with praise. “The top of the game of where offensive guards should be,” Martin’s teammate Micah Parsons said. “So, it’s time for Madden to give him his 99.”

Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams

No surprises here. The always dominant Donald has made the 99 club for the seventh time in his career, surpassing Peyton Manning for the all-time record. Donald appeared in a career-low 11 games last season due to an ankle ailment, but he was every bit his usual assertive force when he did play.

Donald finished the campaign with 49 combined tackles, 10 tackles for a loss and five sacks. He also tallied 11 QB hits, two pass deflections, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, making his eighth consecutive Pro Bowl.

Donald leads the list of defensive tackles in the game, followed by Chris Jones (96 overall rating), Dexter Lawrence II (94), Quinnen Williams (93) and Cameron Heyward (93).

Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings

Jefferson landed on this year’s list after another brilliant season with Minnesota, in which he led the NFL in both receiving yards (1,809) and receptions (128). He also led the league in big plays (plays of 20-plus yards) with 28.

Jefferson has been a dominant pass-catcher since he entered the league in 2020, having tallied the most receiving yards in NFL history through a player’s first three seasons (4,825) — smashing Randy Moss’ previous total (4,163) by more than 600 yards. The three-time Pro Bowler is also the record-holder for most yards per game (96.5) and was a first-team All-Pro selection last season.

The reigning Offensive Player of the Year beat out Tyreek Hill (98 overall rating), Davante Adams (97), Stefon Diggs (96), Cooper Kupp (96), Ja’Marr Chase (94), DeAndre Hopkins (93), Terry McLaurin (92), A.J. Brown (91) and Amari Cooper (91) for the top honor.

Check back for updates as more players are revealed!

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