Los Angeles Rams Star Matthew Stafford Gets Rare Madden Honor

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford added another first to his résumé after an MVP season that reshaped the final stage of his NFL career.

EA Sports awarded Stafford a 99 overall rating in Madden NFL 27, placing him in the game’s exclusive 99 Club for the first time. Stafford also received a custom glass football containing his own player-issued Topps 99 Club card as part of a new partnership connecting Madden, football cards and collectible art.

Stafford shares the highest quarterback rating in the game with Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen. EA’s official ratings database lists the 38-year-old Rams quarterback at 99 overall entering his 18th NFL season.

The timing adds weight to what could otherwise be dismissed as another video-game announcement. Stafford is the reigning NFL MVP, recently signed a contract extension with Los Angeles and has opened training camp looking capable of extending his remarkable late-career peak.

HeavyMatthew Stafford’s Madden NFL 27 99 Club trophy features a player-issued Topps card honoring the Los Angeles Rams quarterback’s first 99 overall rating.

Matthew Stafford’s Madden Trophy Contains a Player-Issued Topps Card

Stafford’s 99 Club presentation piece is not a conventional trophy.

EA Sports partnered with Topps and artist Victor Solomon to create a glass football that holds a specially designed Stafford card. The card carries Madden and 99 Club branding while featuring Stafford in his Rams uniform.

The “Player Issue” designation is important for collectors. The card inside Stafford’s trophy was produced for the quarterback and should not automatically be treated as the same card that will eventually appear in packs.

EA Sports said Madden 99 Club inserts will be included in a future Topps Football product. However, the announcement did not disclose the product name, release date, print run, parallels or pack odds.

Those missing details create the next piece of relevant collector news. Topps’ eventual checklist will determine whether Stafford’s commercial insert is broadly available, short-printed or part of a larger parallel run.

It could also have appeal beyond Rams collectors. Stafford spent his first 12 seasons with the Detroit Lions before winning Super Bowl LVI with Los Angeles, giving him established collecting audiences in two NFL markets.

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Matthew Stafford Reaches 99 for the First Time at Age 38

Stafford’s perfect rating is the culmination of the best statistical season of his career.

He led the NFL in 2025 with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes while throwing only eight interceptions. Those numbers earned Stafford his first Associated Press NFL MVP award after 17 seasons.

Madden NFL 26 ultimately listed Stafford at 98 overall, meaning the new edition takes him the final step into the 99 Club.

Stafford is one of three first-time 99 Club members in Madden NFL 27, joining Seattle Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride. The full group also includes Allen, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Stafford’s Rams teammate, edge rusher Myles Garrett.

Los Angeles having two players at 99 also reinforces the expectations surrounding the franchise. Stafford leads an offense featuring Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, while Garrett gives the Rams a game-changing presence on defense.

Stafford Begins Another Rams Title Push With His Successor Waiting

Stafford’s honor arrives during an unusual moment for the Rams’ quarterback room.

Los Angeles signed Stafford to a contract extension in May after his league-leading season. The Rams also used the No. 13 selection in the 2026 NFL draft on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who signed a fully guaranteed four-year rookie contract worth $25.4 million.

Simpson gives the Rams a potential long-term successor, but nothing about the beginning of camp suggests Stafford is ready to surrender the offense.

The Rams reported that Stafford looked sharp during his first practice, completing passes to Nacua, Adams and Konata Mumpfield. Los Angeles is managing Stafford’s workload rather than having him practice every day, an approach intended to keep its veteran quarterback fresh for another championship pursuit.

Madden’s rating therefore captures more than career reputation. Stafford enters 2026 as the league’s reigning MVP, the leader of a contender and, for the first time, a member of the 99 Club.

Now he has a one-of-a-kind Topps card to prove it.

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