*LATEST* Madden 23: NFL Honors & Tribute Players

Earlier in February the NFL Honors Ceremony took place, a night which celebrates several players and coaches who went above and beyond on and off the field. From the MVP, to the Comeback Player of the Year, to the Coach of the Year, to the Walter Payton Man of the Year and much more, this special evening recognizes greatness in various capacities reflected in the NFL, and Madden 23 felt it was only justified to have three different player drops for the occasion.

With the close of the 2022 campaign following the Super Bowl Finale between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles, Madden 23 has a lot to commemorate following an action-packed season filled with many incredible moments, including the NFL Honors. The first part of the NFL Honors release took place on Monday, February 13, the second part went live yesterday, February 16, and the third and final drop was revealed on Friday, February 17.

In addition to the NFL Honors players, this feature also covers three other stars that were released in-game this year that Madden 23 chose to create ‘Tribute’ cards for after they decided to hang up their cleats. So without further ado, here’s all the NFL Honors players and Tribute players Madden 23 has released in Ultimate Team.

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Madden 23: NFL Honors Players

For the NFL Honors Program, Madden 23 released a total of six new players, three in the first drop, two in the second, and one in the third. Down below we list those six superstars along with their 2022 regular season stats and where they ranked in the NFL in those categories.

Here’s the whole list:

1. Patrick Mahomes (QB) – Chiefs – 2022 MVP Award Winner

• 5,250 passing yards (1st)
• 41 passing touchdowns (1st)
• 308.8 passing yards per game (1st)

2. Justin Jefferson (WR) – Vikings – 2022 Offensive Player of the Year

• 128 receptions (1st)
• 1,809 receiving yards (1st)
• 106.4 yards per game (1st)

3. Nick Bosa (RE) – 49ers – 2022 Defensive Player of the Year

• 18.5 sacks (1st)
• 90 Pressures (T-1st)

4. Geno Smith (QB) – Seahawks – 2022 Comeback Player of the Year

• 69.8 completion percentage (1st)
• 30 passing touchdowns (4th)
• 100.9 passer rating (5th)

5. Sauce Gardner (CB) – Jets – 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year

• 20 passes defended (1st)
• 14 pass breakups (T-1st)
• 45.9 reception percentage (1st) *minimum of 400 pass coverage snaps

6. Garrett Wilson (WR) – Jets – 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year

• 83 receptions (1st amongst all rookies)
• 1,103 receiving yards (1st amongst all rookies)
• 384 yards after the catch (1st amongst all rookies)

Madden 23: Tribute Players

Over the course of the 2022 season, some big news broke out regarding the retirements of three special players in the NFL. So in response, Madden 23 released three Tribute cards, which are completely separate from the NFL Honors Program:

Tom Brady (QB) – Buccaneers

The first was the farewell from legendary, 7-time Super Bowl Champion, Tom Brady. Regarded as the Greatest Of All Time (G.O.A.T.) in NFL history due to his legitimized success as a multi Super Bowl and MVP Winner, Madden 23 simply had to produce a tribute card for this one-of-a-kind quarterback and did so in the greatest style possible: Making him the first 99 overall in MUT.

A.J. Green (WR) – Bengals

Following Brady’s farewell, Madden 23 Ultimate Team also created an awesome card for the retiring veteran wide receiver that made his mark for the Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals, the one and only, A.J. Green. With seven Pro Bowl appearances and five visits to the Playoffs throughout his 12-year career, MUT felt it was only right to produce a top-tier card for Green, and did just that.

J.J. Watt (LE) – Texans

Last but not least, Madden 23 also chose to recognize the incredible journey that legendary veteran pass rusher J.J. Watt endured over his 12-year career with both the Houston Texans and the Arizona Cardinals. In those 12 seasons, Watt was named First-Team All-Pro five times, won the Defensive Player of the Year Award three times, and was the NFL Sacks Leader in two different seasons as well. Though he was the first amongst this group to announce his retirement, Madden 23 didn’t chose to release his card until now.

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