By Moses Joshua 
A leaked beta rating vaults New York into the league’s top tier—even as real-world expectations sink to rebuilding mode.
“Wait—They’re an 86?”
Screenshots from the closed beta of Madden NFL 26 trickled out this week, and buried among the usual ratings chatter was a stunner: the New York Jets landed an overall mark of 86, tied for 10th-best in the entire game. That score places Gang Green shoulder-to-shoulder with the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles and—perhaps most shockingly—a full notch above AFC East powerhouse Buffalo.
NFL fans wasted no time registering their disbelief. Social-media timelines filled with double-takes and sarcasm. One commenter captured the mood perfectly: “This has to be a mistake, right?”
How did a club coming off a five-win season—fresh off jettisoning Aaron Rodgers and embracing a reset—end up with elite status in Madden’s early build? A likely explanation: the game’s formula leans heavily on star power, and New York still boasts top-end talent such as Sauce Gardner, Quinnen Williams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall. When the developers punch those All-Pro ceilings into the ratings calculator, the floor rises for everyone else.
The Reality Check in Florham Park
Inside the Jets’ facility, no one is confusing beta ratings with a Lombardi Trophy. New head coach Aaron Glenn and newly hired GM Darren Mougey have been candid: 2025 is about foundation, not fireworks. A flurry of offseason moves underscored the shift:
- Quarterback reset: a low-risk flyer on Justin Fields instead of pouring assets into a veteran splash.
- Trench investment: multiple picks and bargain contracts poured into the offensive line.
- Youth movement: only four players on the entire roster will be 30 or older when Week 1 kicks off.
Gone are pricey short-term bets; in their place, a younger and (the Jets hope) hungrier nucleus. Most analysts still see New York jockeying with Miami to stay out of the AFC East cellar rather than challenging the Bills for the crown.
Star Power vs. System Build
For Madden, a handful of 90-plus ratings can drag an entire team into contender territory—at least on the loading screen. In real football, depth matters just as much, and the Jets remain unproven behind their headline names. Fields must revive his career behind an overhauled line, and Glenn must knit together a roster that has known nothing but turbulence for years.
Still, the virtual vote of confidence offers fans a brief reprieve from pessimism. Fire up the console, submerge into fantasy, and for a few quarters of pixelated dominance, Jet faithful can imagine a world where an 86 overall really does translate to February football.
Will the Ratings Hold?
EA Sports will recalibrate before the game’s official launch—and again once the real season unfolds. If New York stumbles early, expect that shiny 86 to drop faster than a stock on Black Monday. But if Glenn’s culture shift takes root and Fields finds late-career form, the Jets might just outperform the modest projections.
Until then, Jets Nation can revel in its most unexpected “win” in years—courtesy of Madden NFL 26. Reality may be harsher, but for now, the digital gridiron belongs to Gang Green.