logo
Madden 26: Ravens star QB Lamar Jackson headlines the '99 Overall Club'

Madden 26: Ravens star QB Lamar Jackson headlines the '99 Overall Club'

USA Today7 hours ago
Baltimore has a stacked roster, but Lamar Jackson was the only Ravens player to make the coveted '99 Overall Club' for Madden NFL 26
The Ravens are loaded on offense, with two or three players who can legitimately be ranked as the best at their position. Madden NFL 26 will be released on August 14, and EA Sports has started the rollout, revealing the seven players who made the coveted '99 Overall Club.
Baltimore was well represented with MVP candidate and star quarterback Lamar Jackson making the list.
Last season, the 28-year-old Jackson set career highs in touchdown passes (41), passing yards (4,172), and quarterback rating (119.6) while throwing just four interceptions. Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken is entering his third season coaching Jackson and expects the quarterback's growth to continue and reach another level as he enters the prime of his career.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Thunder star Jalen Williams roasted by fans for recreating Kobe Bryant injury photo
Thunder star Jalen Williams roasted by fans for recreating Kobe Bryant injury photo

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Thunder star Jalen Williams roasted by fans for recreating Kobe Bryant injury photo

The post Thunder star Jalen Williams roasted by fans for recreating Kobe Bryant injury photo appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Oklahoma City Thunder have been busy over the last few weeks celebrating their recent NBA championship victory over the Indiana Pacers. A big part of that feat was the play of Jalen Williams, who powered through a wrist injury that has since required surgery and scored 40 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Williams is now recovering from surgery on the injury and recently posted a photo of himself shooting with his left hand, right next to an iconic photograph of the late Kobe Bryant in a similar pose. Fans on X, formerly Twitter, weren't thrilled with the Thunder star's attempt to recreate the famous photo. 'Take a pic for me bro i'm tryna do what kobe did,' mocked one fan, imagining how the picture came to be. Another posted a GIF of corn, implying that Williams is corny for making the post. Williams is far from the first NBA player to feel the wrath of Kobe Bryant fans after trying to recreate something that the Los Angeles Lakers legend did (just ask Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum). However, Bryant would likely be proud of the heart and grit Williams showed by working through his injured wrist this postseason and stepping up in some of the biggest moments during the Thunder's championship run. A busy summer for the Thunder Priority number one for the Thunder this offseason was locking up the core that helped them win a championship for the long term, and Oklahoma City did just that by signing Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to lucrative contract extensions. While some fans worried that the league's newly implemented second apron rules might eventually catch up to the Thunder, Oklahoma City is slated to bring back virtually the entire core that just helped them win a championship for the 2025-26 season. There's still lots of room to grow for both Williams and Holmgren, and potentially even Gilgeous-Alexander, who is theoretically just now entering the prime years of his future Hall of Fame career. In any case, while he continues to recover, Williams may want to refrain from posting any more Kobe-like pictures to avoid further mockery on social media. Related: Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 'ego' Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 10 greatest accolades, ranked

Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ‘ego'
Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ‘ego'

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ‘ego'

The post Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 'ego' appeared first on ClutchPoints. Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein reflected on his first season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's Most Valuable Player, scoring title champion, and NBA Finals MVP. In a recent interview with Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George, Hartenstein reflected on winning two seven-game series en route to his and the franchise's first championship, as well as what makes Gilgeous-Alexander such a special player and teammate. Amid Gilgeous-Alexander's accolades, national praise, and ascension to stardom in the 2024-25 season, Hartenstein says the MVP's humble approach to leading the Thunder's offense stands out most, per Podcast P with Paul George. 'He has no ego. There's no I'm just gonna score, I'm trying to make it by myself — it's never that,' Hartenstein said. 'There were even times at the beginning of the season where he threw me a pass, he got trapped, and I threw it to the next man to get a shot. And I'm like, 'Sorry. I'll finish it next time to get you an assist,' and he's like I don't care. I just wanna win. So, do whatever you need. Even if he's putting up those huge numbers, he's not searching them.' Gilgeous-Alexander's effort on defense sets the right example in his role as the Thunder's leader. 'He's trying to make the team as best as possible,' Hartenstein added. 'Him playing on both ends of the court — I think that's something that's super underrated. He plays defense. You can't just go pick on him, and he tries on defense. It's not like I settled for five seconds. I'm tired. I'm gonna just chill on defense. He doesn't do that. When you see that, it just gives us the push, gives us the confidence that he's gonna do it on both sides of the court, for sure.' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points on 44.3% shooting, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in the Thunder's seven-game NBA Finals series against the Indiana Pacers. Isaiah Hartenstein on the Nuggets, Pacers en route to Thunder title Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein addressed Stephen A Smith's old take and why the Nuggets were a tougher series compared to the Pacers in the NBA Finals. 'We were always confident throughout the series,' Hartenstein said. 'I think the only series where we were kind of a little bit against the ropes was Denver — just Jokic. The way they play. They've been there before, and that's probably the only series where we were like, even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance. Every other series, we were like, if we do the right things, we're good.' Hartenstein helped the Thunder win its first championship in franchise history. Related: Thunder star Jalen Williams roasted by fans for recreating Kobe Bryant injury photo Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 10 greatest accolades, ranked

Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP
Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP

The post Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP appeared first on ClutchPoints. Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton recently offered high praise for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while appearing on The Pat McAfee Show, reflecting on the Thunder's dominance and Gilgeous-Alexander's ascension to MVP status during the 2024–25 NBA season. Haliburton, who is currently recovering from a torn Achilles sustained in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, commended Gilgeous-Alexander for his ability to control games and efficiently score at all three levels. The two All-Star guards faced off in the NBA Finals, where the Thunder defeated the Pacers in a tightly contested seven-game series. When asked whether Indiana expected Oklahoma City's offensive explosiveness and whether Gilgeous-Alexander is the best offensive player in the league, Haliburton acknowledged the Thunder's strength and Gilgeous-Alexander's elite skill set. 'I mean we definitely expected it. They were the best team in the NBA all year,' Haliburton said. 'Shai is the MVP for a reason – he gets paint touches at an elite level… He doesn't come across stature-wise as this big, bulky guy, but he does a great job. He gets to his spots, can score at all three levels, he's MVP for a reason. I mean the season he put together [is] one of the greatest seasons in NBA history.' Tyrese Haliburton reflects on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP rise after Finals clash Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, averaged 32.7 points, 6.4 assists, five rebounds, 1.7 steals, and one block per game while shooting 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from three over 76 games. His consistency and late-game execution helped power Oklahoma City to a franchise-best 68–14 regular-season record, earning him the 2025 NBA Most Valuable Player award. The Thunder's postseason run further cemented Gilgeous-Alexander's place among the league's elite. In the 2025 NBA Finals, he averaged 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field across seven games against the Pacers. His Game 7 performance — 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds, two blocks, and a steal — was pivotal in Oklahoma City's 103–91 championship-clinching win. The Finals MVP award capped off a historic year for the Thunder guard. Days after winning the title, Gilgeous-Alexander signed a four-year, $285 million contract extension to remain the face of Oklahoma City's franchise. Haliburton's praise adds to the growing admiration Gilgeous-Alexander has received from peers across the league. The Pacers guard, who played a central role in Indiana's first Finals appearance since 2000, had averaged 17.3 points, 8.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game in the 2025 postseason before suffering his injury in the decisive Game 7. As both franchises look toward the future, the Finals matchup between Gilgeous-Alexander and Haliburton may mark the beginning of a budding rivalry between two of the NBA's premier young guards. For now, Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP campaign and title run stand as the defining story of the 2024–25 season. Related: Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein's 'funny' response to Stephen A. Smith diss Related: Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins Stone Cold Steve Austin with rare honor

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store