Madden 99 Club was initially launched as part of Madden NFL 19.

What is significant about 99? A 99 OVR is the highest rating possible in Madden. During the season, ratings are updated on a weekly basis based on the real-life player performance and skill set, so attributes like Speed, Catch, and Tackle are all accounted for.

For Madden 23, four players will start the season in the 99 Club, 4 of which were in the 99 Club last season:

Davante Adams
Aaron Donald
Myles Garrett
Trent Williams

Madden 22 featured 5 players in the 99 Club at the start of the season, then added 3 more during the season:

DaVante Adams
Aaron Donald
Travis Kelce
Jalen Ramsey
Patrick Mahomes (also on the Madden 22 cover.)
Myles Garrett (in-season addition)
Tom Brady (in-season addition)
Justin Tucker (in-season addition)

2/3/21 UPDATE: To commemorate his retirement Tom Brady has re-joined the Madden 99 Club. As far as I can tell he is the first player ever to make the 99 Club, get removed, and then get re-added all in the same season.

For a deeper dive, read my article “Tom Brady Madden Ratings Thru The years: by clicking here.

For Madden 21, EA Sports announced four Madden 99 ranked players before the season:

Christian McCaffrey
Aaron Donald
Michael Thomas
Stephon Gilmore

And added Seahawks QB Russell Wilson on 10/15/2020. And re-added Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins on 11/19/2020. Prior to his Hail Mary game-winner against the Bills, Hopkins was a 98. Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce was added on 12/10/2020. Packers WR Devonte Adams was added 12/30/2020.

For Madden 20, EA Sports announced four Madden 99 ranked players before the season — and added Patrick Mahomes on 9/26, Christian McCaffrey on 11/21, and Michael Thomas on 12/23:

The ratings in modern Madden fluctuate, thanks to the advent of online servers. These ratings used to be locked for the year and now move a bit as the season goes along depending on how players play. Which is why in Madden 19, Bears defensive stud Kahlil Mack and Saints QB Drew Brees were upgraded to 99 ratings during the season.

So that got me thinking; out of all the versions of Madden for the last 20+ years, back to 1998, how many 99 OVR ratings had been given out? And, did you know that Madden used to give ratings of 100?

Ready for a run through history? Here is the full list, by year and version of the game starting with Madden 1999:

Madden 1999 Player Ratings

100 Overall Club: RB Barry Sanders (Lions), WR Jerry Rice (49ers), TE Shannon Sharpe (Broncos), TE Mark Chmura (Packers), OT Tony Boselli (Jaguars), CB Deion Sanders (Cowboys)

Madden 99 Club: TE Ben Coates (Patriots), C Dermontti Dawson (Steelers), OG Randall McDaniel (Vikings), OG Larry Allen (Cowboys), OG Mark Schlereth (Broncos), OT Jonathan Ogden (Ravens), OT Willie Roaf (Saints), DE Bruce Smith (Bills), DE Neil Smith (Broncos), DE Reggie White (Packers), DE Tony Brackens (Jaguars), MLB Ken Norton Jr. (49ers), CB Jason Sehorn (Giants), K Morten Andersen (Falcons)

Madden 2000 Player Ratings

100 Overall Club: FB Mike Alstott (Buccaneers), CB Deion Sanders (Cowboys)

Madden 99 Club: RB Barry Sanders (Lions), C Dermontti Dawson (Steelers), P Matt Turk (Redskins)

Madden 2001 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: None
The game featured no players with a 99 OVR rating, however it had a few players with the highest rating of 96 OVR.

Madden 2002 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: RB Marshall Faulk (Rams), TE Tony Gonzalez (Chiefs), LT Jonathan Ogden (Ravens), DT Warren Sapp (Buccaneers), MLB Ray Lewis (Ravens)

Madden 2003 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: RB Marshall Faulk (Rams), LG Larry Allen (Cowboys), DT Warren Sapp (Buccaneers), LE Michael Strahan (Giants), MLB Ray Lewis (Ravens)

Madden 2004 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: WR Marvin Harrison (Colts), WR Terrell Owens (49ers), MLB Ray Lewis (Ravens), ROLB Derrick Brooks (Buccaneers), FS Brian Dawkins (Eagles), K Adam Vinatieri (Patriots)

Madden 2005 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: LT Jonathan Ogden (Ravens), MLB Ray Lewis (Ravens), CB Champ Bailey (Broncos), K Mike Vanderjagt (Colts)

Madden 2006 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Peyton Manning (Colts), WR Randy Moss (Raiders), LT Jonathan Ogden (Ravens), MLB Ray Lewis (Ravens), K Adam Vinatieri (Patriots), K David Akers (Eagles)

Madden 2007 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Peyton Manning (Colts), FB Lorenzo Neal (Chargers), TE Antonio Gates (Chargers), LT Walter Jones (Seahawks), FS Ed Reed (Ravens), CB Champ Bailey (Broncos), P Shane Lechler (Raiders)

Madden 2008 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Peyton Manning (Colts), RB LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers), MLB Brian Urlacher (Bears), FS Ed Reed (Ravens), CB Champ Bailey (Broncos)

Madden 2009 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Peyton Manning (Colts), QB Tom Brady (Patriots), RB LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers), TE Antonio Gates (Chargers), WR Randy Moss (Patriots), SS Bob Sanders (Colts)

Madden 2010 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Peyton Manning (Colts), WR Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals), DT Albert Haynesworth (Redskins), FS Ed Reed (Ravens), SS Troy Polamalu (Steelers), CB Nnamdi Asomugha (Raiders)

Madden 2011 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Peyton Manning (Colts), QB Drew Brees (Saints), RB Chris Johnson (Titans), RE Jared Allen (Vikings), MLB Patrick Willis (49ers), CB Darrelle Revis (Jets)

Madden 2012 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Tom Brady (Patriots), TE Antonio Gates (Chargers), SS Troy Polamalu (Steelers), CB Darrelle Revis (Jets)

Madden 2013 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Aaron Rodgers (Packers), WR Calvin Johnson (Lions), ROLB DeMarcus Ware (Cowboys), CB Darrelle Revis (Jets)

Madden 2014 Player Ratings (Called Madden NFL 25 since it was the 15th year EA Sports released the game)

Madden 99 Club: RB Adrian Peterson (Vikings), WR Calvin Johnson (Lions), LE J.J. Watt (Texans)

Madden 2015 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: WR Calvin Johnson (Lions), LE J.J. Watt (Texans), CB Richard Sherman (Seahawks)

Madden 2016 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Aaron Rodgers (Packers), TE Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), RE J.J. Watt (Texans)

Madden 2017 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: TE Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), RE J.J. Watt (Texans), MLB Luke Kuechly (Panthers), LOLB Von Miller (Broncos)

Madden 2018 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Tom Brady (Patriots), RE Aaron Donald (Rams), LOLB Von Miller (Broncos)

Madden 2019 Player Ratings

Madden 99 Club: QB Tom Brady (Patriots), TE Rob Gronkowski (Patriots), QB Aaron Rodgers (Packers), WR Antonio Brown (Steelers), DT Aaron Donald (Rams), Von Miller (Broncos), LB Luke Kuechly (Panthers), Kahlil Mack (Bears), and QB Drew Brees (Saints)

Madden 99 Club Launched: List Of Every Player Ranked 99 Or Higher EVER