Aaron Donald Named to Madden NFL 99 Club for 7th Time, Breaks Peyton Manning's Record
July 18, 2023
Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald has made history as a member of the Madden NFL 99 Club for the seventh time.
EA Sports announced the three-time Defensive Player of the Year will have a 99 overall rating again, breaking a tie with Peyton Manning for the most years with the highest rating in the history of the Madden NFL franchise.
Madden NFL 24 @EAMaddenNFLMost appearances in Madden history 😱 <br><br>Welcome back <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronDonald97?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AaronDonald97</a> 💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/99Club?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#99Club</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Madden24?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Madden24</a> <a href="https://t.co/tXUAvgmug2">pic.twitter.com/tXUAvgmug2</a>
Manning received the 99 overall rating in six consecutive years starting with Madden NFL 06 and ending with Madden NFL 11. He fell from the ranks in 2011 when he was a 98 but wound up sitting out the entire season with a neck injury.
Donald has been a 99 overall in every release of the game since Madden NFL 18. He hasn't been below a 92 since his rookie year in 2014 (79 overall).
NFL @NFLOne play from each season that <a href="https://twitter.com/AaronDonald97?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AaronDonald97</a> earned himself a 9️⃣9️⃣ overall in <a href="https://twitter.com/EAMaddenNFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EAMaddenNFL</a>. 😤 <a href="https://t.co/8Sv3l7Q9Qx">pic.twitter.com/8Sv3l7Q9Qx</a>
It was fair to wonder if Donald would maintain his spot in the exclusive club. The 32-year-old was still a productive player during the 2022 season with 11 quarterback hits and five sacks, but he also missed significant time for the first time in his career.
Donald's 11 games played were his fewest in nine seasons in the NFL. His production was also impacted because the Rams roster was depleted by injuries, allowing opposing teams to focus even more of their game plan on stopping him than usual.
It's a testament to how dominant Donald remains, even at this stage of his career, that he still put up strong numbers.
Per Gordon McGuinness of PFF.com, Donald racked up 40 pressures on just 396 pass-rushing snaps last season. His 10 tackles for loss was one more than edge-rushers Zach Allen and Aidan Hutchinson (nine) despite missing six games.
Donald has been a historic-level talent throughout his career. He's one of three players in NFL history to win three Defensive Player of the Year awards and was named to the All-Pro first team in seven consecutive seasons from 2015 to '21.
It's only fitting that Donald would make Madden history with his seventh consecutive appearance in the 99 Club.