These 49ers players were rated way too low in Madden 24
By Peter Panacy
49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk Madden rating: 86
Much like Trent Williams, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk coming in at 86 isn't overly terrible. All-Pro wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is coming off what he called an "awful" season, was rated at 89. So, Aiyuk being only three points behind Samuel isn't the worst thing ever.
While Aiyuk just missed out on the 20 best wide receivers in Madden 24, it probably wouldn't be too difficult to argue there are 20 better wideouts in the NFL than him, currently.
But, as Niners Wire's Kyle Madson pointed out, not necessarily in the individual skills where Aiyuk should have been ranked higher:
"Madden rates deep route running, medium route running and short route running. Aiyuk didn’t land in the top 10 in any of those categories.
Not including Aiyuk as a top 10 deep route runner is fine. That’s not something the 49ers use very often and their passing game focuses more on the short and intermediate areas.
On the other hand, there aren’t many receivers who spend more time and create more space than Aiyuk on short or medium routes. He’s effective on both in all areas of the field, and in particular in the red zone where he creates a ton of separation despite the confined spaces near the end zone."
Read more: Madden 24 player ratings show why Brandon Aiyuk is still underrated
Aiyuk, who led the 49ers with his first 1,000-yard season in 2022, has already promised to do even more this season, saying he's "going to take off."
Perhaps the Madden slight will be providing a little extra motivation.