“Better than Henry and McCaffrey”: NFL fans buzz as Saquon Barkley joins 99 Club with Madden 26 rating

Saquon Barkley had a historic day on Monday. The Philadelphia Eagles running back was revealed as the cover for the Madden 26 game, with his iconic reverse huddle to feature on the game's front page in the upcoming release.

However, that wasn't the only special Madden feature related to the running back on Monday. It was also revealed that he'll now be part of the 99 Club, reserved for members who achieve the 99 overall rating inside the game. He's the first offensive player for the Philadelphia Eagles to join the club.

After news of the rating was released, NFL fans were in a celebratory mood on X (formerly called Twitter) to speak about the achievement. Some made comparisons with other stars of the position, like Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey, stating that Saquon is a superior player:

"Better than Henry and McCaffrey", wrote one fan.

"Best RB season ever. Imagine what Giants fans are thinking", trolled another Eagles fan.

"Barkley earned that 99 for sure. Hopefully he avoids the Madden Cover Curse," was another wish from a fan.

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Saquon Barkley earns new contract with Philadelphia Eagles following Super Bowl win

Saquon had the best season of his career. He led the league with 2,005 rushing yards with 15 total touchdowns in his first season with the Eagles. He also set the single-season rushing yards record (including playoffs) with 2,504, although he didn't break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing yards record, which includes just the regular season.

As such, he earned a new deal with the franchise following their Super Bowl LIX win over the Kansas City Chiefs. He added two years for $41 million, and those numbers now have him as the highest-paid running back in the NFL. He's also the only one to cross the $20 million mark on average.

Another running back to sign a contract extension this offseason was Derrick Henry, who penned a new two-year, $30 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. Although this represented a big raise over his previous deal, it's still well below what Barkley earned from the Eagles.