EA Sports Madden NFL recently asked fans which player belongs in the exclusive 99 Club — the highest possible overall rating in the game, reserved for players whose dominance is simply beyond argument.
Beyond the game, a 99 rating works as a benchmark for elite status across professional sports. It acknowledges skill, impact and sustained excellence. Athletes reaching this level are often generational talents who define their eras.
In the NFL, Patrick Mahomes is the obvious 99. Three Super Bowl titles, two MVP awards, 4,803 passing yards and 38 touchdowns last season — the résumé speaks for itself. Receiver Justin Jefferson also plays at that level, posting 1,809 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in 2022. Both players change game outcomes every time they touch the ball.
Defensively, Myles Garrett is right there. Eighteen sacks and 30 quarterback hits last season, plus Defensive Player of the Year honors. He wrecks offensive lines and forces turnovers on a weekly basis for Cleveland.
The NBA has its own 99-level players. Nikola Jokic — two MVPs, one championship — averaged 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and nine assists last season for Denver, running the offense from the post with a feel nobody else in the league has. Two MVPs and a title. That's the conversation.
Giannis Antetokounmpo belongs in it too. Thirty and a half points, 11.5 rebounds per game last season, carrying Milwaukee deep into the Eastern Conference playoffs on both ends of the floor. His combination of size, speed and scoring power doesn't have a comparable.
In MLB, Shohei Ohtani is genuinely in a category by himself. Forty-four home runs and a 3.14 ERA with 167 strikeouts over 132 innings pitched last season — no one else in baseball history does both. Aaron Judge makes the hitting case: 62 home runs in 2022, still a modern American League record, followed by a .305 average, 1.111 OPS and 131 RBI last year for the Yankees.
Connor McDavid is the NHL's 99, full stop. Sixty-four goals, 89 assists, 153 points in 2022-23 — league-leading, third Hart Memorial Trophy, not remotely close. His speed and stickhandling don't belong in the same sentence as anyone else playing right now.
Global soccer has its own candidates. Kylian Mbappé scored 43 goals across all competitions last season for Paris Saint-Germain and France, with the pace and finishing to justify any conversation about the game's best.
In individual sports, the case is just as clear. Max Verstappen has won three consecutive Formula One world championships. Jon Jones carries a 27-1 MMA record in the UFC. Novak Djokovic won three Grand Slams last year, pushing his record total to 24 major titles.
Earning a 99 comes down to consistent production, championship success and individual accolades — and the fine margin between elite and all-time great. The players listed here don't just check those boxes. They redefine them.
