Game Notes
- Release date: August 8, 2005 (Based on the 2005 NFL season.)
- Cover athlete: Donovan McNabb QB Philadelphia Eagles (GameCube, Nintendo DS, PS2, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360, Windows PC, Mobile phone)
Player Notes
- 99 Overall 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)
AFC North Rosters
Pittsburgh Steelers
91 OVR |
Baltimore Ravens
88 OVR |
Cincinnati Bengals
85 OVR |
Cleveland Browns
68 OVR |
AFC East Rosters
New England Patriots
97 OVR |
New York Jets
81 OVR |
Buffalo Bills
78 OVR |
Miami Dolphins
70 OVR |
AFC South Rosters
Indianapolis Colts
90 OVR |
Jacksonville Jaguars
84 OVR |
Houston Texans
83 OVR |
Tennessee Titans
69 OVR |
AFC West Rosters
San Diego Chargers
86 OVR |
Kansas City Chiefs
85 OVR |
Oakland Raiders
81 OVR |
Denver Broncos
74 OVR |
NFC North Rosters
Minnesota Vikings
90 OVR |
Green Bay Packers
80 OVR |
Detroit Lions
78 OVR |
Chicago Bears
73 OVR |
NFC East Rosters
Philadelphia Eagles
96 OVR |
Washington Redskins
77 OVR |
Dallas Cowboys
73 OVR |
New York Giants
72 OVR |
NFC South Rosters
Carolina Panthers
85 OVR |
Atlanta Falcons
85 OVR |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
75 OVR |
New Orleans Saints
72 OVR |
NFC West Rosters
Seattle Seahawks
86 OVR |
St. Louis Rams
82 OVR |
Arizona Cardinals
76 OVR |
San Francisco 49ers
67 OVR |
NFL Europe Rosters
Amsterdam Admirals
|
Berlin Thunder
|
Cologne Centurions
|
Frankfurt Galaxy
|
Hamburg Sea Devils
|
Rhein Fire
|
Other Rosters
Free Agents
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Info Photos
Team Uniforms
Screenshots Photo Gallery
Madden NFL 06 Ratings & History
Madden NFL 06 captures the NFL during the 2005 season, making it a particularly interesting release for looking back at the stars of the early 2000s while also seeing the beginning of the careers of future NFL legends.
Released on August 8, 2005, Madden NFL 06 features Donovan McNabb on the cover and includes a 99 Overall Club filled with some of the biggest names in football at the time.
It is also an important historical release because Aaron Rodgers and Frank Gore both entered the NFL in 2005, making Madden NFL 06 an early snapshot of two future stars at the beginning of their careers.
Madden NFL 06 99 Overall Club
The Madden NFL 06 page lists six players at 99 overall:
- Peyton Manning — Colts — QB
- Randy Moss — Raiders — WR
- Jonathan Ogden — Ravens — LT
- Ray Lewis — Ravens — MLB
- Adam Vinatieri — Patriots — K
- David Akers — Eagles — K
The Quarterbacks of Madden NFL 06
The player-rating images provide a great snapshot of the quarterback landscape.
Peyton Manning — 99 OVR
Daunte Culpepper — 98 OVR
Donovan McNabb — 97 OVR
Tom Brady — 97 OVR
Brett Favre — 93 OVR
Michael Vick — 92 OVR
Steve McNair — 90 OVR
Drew Brees — 89 OVR
The images also show Tony Romo at 70 overall with Dallas, providing a fascinating comparison to the 90-plus quarterbacks surrounding him at the time.
Looking back at these ratings today makes Madden NFL 06 particularly interesting because several of these quarterbacks went on to have Hall of Fame-caliber careers.
Aaron Rodgers' Rookie Madden Rating
Madden NFL 06 is also historically important because it marks the beginning of Aaron Rodgers' Madden career.
Rodgers was a rookie quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in 2005 and appears in the Madden NFL 06 Packers image at 80 overall.
He was listed behind veteran Brett Favre, who was rated 93 overall.
That creates a fantastic historical comparison:
Brett Favre — 93 OVR
Aaron Rodgers — 80 OVR
At the time, Rodgers was a young quarterback beginning his career behind one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. His eventual rise makes that 80 overall rating a particularly interesting piece of Madden history.
Frank Gore's Rookie Season
Madden NFL 06 also represents the beginning of Frank Gore's NFL career.
Gore entered the league as a rookie with the San Francisco 49ers in 2005 and would eventually become one of the most productive running backs in NFL history.
His rookie Madden rating was 76 overall, providing another interesting example of how dramatically a player's Madden rating could change throughout a career.
Gore would eventually become a 90-plus-rated running back in later Madden releases.
Notable Team Ratings
The player images also show some impressive individual ratings across the league.
The Indianapolis Colts feature Peyton Manning at 99, Edgerrin James at 96, Marvin Harrison at 98, and Dwight Freeney at 98.
The New England Patriots feature Tom Brady at 97, Richard Seymour at 97, and Rodney Harrison at 97.
The Baltimore Ravens feature Ray Lewis at 99, J. Lewis at 94, Todd Heap at 94, and Derrick Mason and Terrell Suggs at 92.
The Kansas City Chiefs feature Tony Gonzalez at 98 and Priest Holmes at 95.
And the Seattle Seahawks feature Walter Jones at 98 and Shaun Alexander at 96.
These ratings show just how many elite players were spread throughout the NFL during this era.
Madden Ratings Historical Analysis
Madden NFL 06 is one of the more interesting historical releases because it sits between two generations of NFL stars.
On one side are established legends such as Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss, Tom Brady, and Donovan McNabb.
On the other are players just beginning careers that would eventually make them household names, including Aaron Rodgers and Frank Gore.
The ratings also provide some great snapshots of players before their careers fully developed.
Aaron Rodgers was an 80 overall rookie sitting behind Brett Favre's 93 rating. Tony Romo was only 70 overall in Dallas. Meanwhile, established stars such as Manning and Moss were already sitting at 99.
That's what makes Madden NFL 06 more than just an old roster. It is a snapshot of the NFL at a moment when one generation of stars was still dominating while another generation was just getting started.
