Madden ratings are always a topic of fierce debate. They increase or decrease as the season goes on, but it's hard to please everybody. Even players end up voicing their frustrations, which typifies how important the video game remains in modern-day culture.
And the Carolina Panthers' weirdest Madden rating exposes their most painful roster blow heading into the 2025 campaign.
The Panthers were expecting big things from Jonathon Brooks. Dan Morgan and Dave Canales traded up to No. 46 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft for the talented running back. They did this knowing full well he might not play much as a rookie after tearing his ACL during a fantastic final college campaign with the Texas Longhorns.
Jonathon Brooks' Madden rating shows Carolina Panthers what they're missing
Brooks ended up coming back late in the season, but this was fleeting. The gifted dual-threat presence went down with a non-contact injury on his first carry against the Philadelphia Eagles — his third game in the lineup. This turned out to be another torn ACL on the same knee, which was a devastating blow to the player and franchise.
Carolina signed Rico Dowdle to a one-year deal in free agency. They also spent the No. 114 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Trevor Etienne. This gives them a legitimate three-headed monster alongside Chuba Hubbard, with Brooks moving to the physically unable to perform list.
This gives Brooks the entire campaign to get right before potentially being impactful in 2026. He might never be the same again, but his Madden rating of 77 overall hints that the analysts behind the magic haven't lost all hope just yet.
Brooks was arguably the best running back in his class. His luckless start to life in Carolina has made the widespread NFL audience forget this fact. That should provide the player with all the motivation needed to hit the ground running when medically cleared to participate, but the Panthers will be ultra-cautious with his recovery this time around.
Hubbard, Dowdle, and Etienne are more than capable of picking up the slack behind a dominant offensive line. After that, Brooks can finally take center stage.
If his injury issues become a thing of the past, his on-field production (and Madden rating) will increase exponentially.