Emmanuel Sanders Madden Career 2011-2022 - Peak 89 OVR

Emmanuel Sanders Madden Career 2011-2022 - Peak 89 OVR

Position

Team

Broncos

Height

5'11"

Weight

180

College

SMU

DOB

Mar 17, 1987

Madden

2010-2021

83OVR

2021 Current

89OVR

Peak 2015

Seasons Played

Emmanuel Sanders was born on March 17, 1987 in Bellville, Texas, played college football at SMU, and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round of the 2010 draft, 82nd overall. He caught 28 passes as a rookie, and Madden NFL 11 listed him at 66 for that 2010 season. Across four years in Pittsburgh he made 161 receptions for 2,030 yards, with a high of 67 catches in 2013.

Denver signed him in 2014, and he caught 101 passes for 1,404 yards and nine touchdowns, made his first Pro Bowl, and drew an 83 in Madden NFL 15 for that season. He added 76 catches for 1,135 yards in 2015, a year Madden NFL 16 rated at 89, and he caught six passes for 83 yards in Denver's 24-10 win over Carolina in Super Bowl 50. A second Pro Bowl followed the 2016 season.

Denver traded him to San Francisco in October 2019, and he reached Super Bowl LIV, which Kansas City won 31-20. He caught 61 passes for New Orleans in 2020, a season Madden NFL 21 graded at 87, then started 13 games for Buffalo in 2021. Sanders announced his retirement in September 2022, ending a 12-season career with 704 receptions for 9,245 yards and 51 receiving touchdowns.

Emmanuel Sanders Madden Career Milestones

Peak rating: 89 OVR in Madden NFL 2016 (age 28)
Appeared in 12 Madden releases (Madden NFL 2011 through Madden NFL 2022)
Entered at 66 OVR in Madden NFL 2011, climbed 23 points to his peak
Biggest single-year rise: 7 points into Madden NFL 2015
Played for 4 franchises: Steelers, Broncos, Saints, Bills
Listed as a wide receiver in every Madden release
Final Madden appearance: Madden NFL 2022 at 83 OVR

Madden	Pos	OVR	Speed	ACC	AGI	COD	STR	JMP	STA	INJ	TGH	AWR	PRC	THP	TAS	TAM	TAD	PAC	TOR	CAR	TRK	ELU	BCV	SFA	SPM	JKM	CTH	SPC	CIT	RTE	SRR	MRR	DRR	RLS	RBK	PBK	IBL	TAK	POW	PUR	MCV	ZCV	PRS	KPW	KAC	KRN
2011 2010 NFL season	WR	66	93	94	88	-	39	92	92	90	74	37	20	35	15	10	5	5	10	46	30	-	77	35	86	89	81	71	73	-	70	70	70	40	22	26	30	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	55
2012 2011 NFL season	WR	70	94	95	91	-	40	92	92	90	74	67	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	90	-	-	86	89	82	82	74	68	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2013 2012 NFL season	WR	72	94	95	92	-	40	92	89	82	74	68	20	35	15	10	5	5	10	47	30	-	77	35	86	89	82	82	74	-	73	73	73	56	22	26	30	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	55
2014 2013 NFL season	WR	76	94	-	94	-	40	92	89	82	74	76	20	35	15	10	5	5	10	47	30	-	77	35	86	89	83	84	74	-	77	77	77	65	59	26	30	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	55
2015 2014 NFL season	WR	83	93	95	93	-	42	92	91	86	74	83	20	35	15	10	5	5	10	51	30	-	84	35	86	90	87	88	80	-	85	85	85	75	31	26	30	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	55
2016 2015 NFL season	WR	89	89	92	94	-	42	92	91	86	74	89	20	35	15	10	6	6	10	59	30	-	88	35	86	88	93	93	87	-	95	95	95	81	37	26	30	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	55
2017 2016 NFL season	WR	88	93	93	94	-	42	92	91	87	78	88	20	35	15	10	6	6	10	69	30	-	89	35	86	88	94	93	89	-	95	95	95	83	37	26	30	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	83
2018 2017 NFL season	WR	89	92	92	94	-	42	92	91	87	78	94	20	35	15	10	6	6	10	69	30	-	89	35	86	88	97	93	90	-	92	92	92	83	65	26	40	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	83
2019 2018 NFL season	WR	88	90	92	93	-	42	92	91	87	78	88	20	35	15	10	6	6	10	69	30	-	89	35	86	88	94	90	88	-	92	-	89	83	58	26	40	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	83
2020 2019 NFL season	WR	88	89	92	93	-	43	92	95	87	78	93	20	35	15	10	6	6	10	69	30	-	90	35	86	89	92	90	88	-	91	-	89	84	57	26	40	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	83
2021 2020 NFL season	WR	87	88	91	91	86	43	90	87	87	80	88	20	50	42	35	33	22	10	69	30	-	89	35	86	88	94	89	88	-	90	-	89	85	57	26	40	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	82
2022 2021 NFL season	WR	83	88	90	90	86	43	90	87	87	80	86	20	50	42	35	32	22	10	70	30	-	89	35	86	88	90	88	88	-	88	87	82	85	57	26	40	25	12	35	13	25	18	30	30	82

How to read these: Each row is the player’s rating in that year’s Madden, listed by the NFL season it covers (Madden NFL 2001 = the 2000 season). Madden sets its ratings before the season is played, so they reflect the previous season’s performance - a player’s breakout year tends to show up as a jump in the following year’s game.

Note: Some Madden releases tracked fewer attributes than others. Cells shown as - were not published by EA that year.

Era Wide Receivers who played alongside Emmanuel Sanders

DeAndre Hopkins

Madden NFL 2014-2026 - Ravens

Davante Adams

Madden NFL 2015-2026 - Rams

Tyreek Hill

Madden NFL 2017-2026 - Dolphins

Justin Jefferson

Madden NFL 2021-2026 - Vikings

Ja'Marr Chase

Madden NFL 2022-2026 - Bengals

Michael Thomas

Madden NFL 2017-2024 - Saints

Antonio Brown

Madden NFL 2012-2022 - Buccaneers

Larry Fitzgerald

Madden NFL 2005-2021 - Cardinals

NFL career stats: View Emmanuel Sanders's NFL stats & grades →

#1	Champ Bailey CB Georgia	99
#2	Von Miller OLB Texas A&M	99
#3	Ryan Clady LT Boise St.	98
#4	Peyton Manning QB Tennessee	98
#5	Patrick Surtain II CB Alabama	97
#6	Al Wilson MLB Tennessee	96
#7	Jason Elam K Hawaii	96
#8	Todd Sauerbrun P West Virginia	96

Emmanuel Sanders Madden Ratings by Year

Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2011 rating: 66 OVR (2010 NFL season, PIT). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2012 rating: 70 OVR (2011 NFL season, PIT). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2013 rating: 72 OVR (2012 NFL season, PIT). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2014 rating: 76 OVR (2013 NFL season, PIT). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2015 rating: 83 OVR (2014 NFL season, DEN). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2016 rating: 89 OVR (2015 NFL season, DEN). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2017 rating: 88 OVR (2016 NFL season, DEN). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2018 rating: 89 OVR (2017 NFL season, DEN). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2019 rating: 88 OVR (2018 NFL season, DEN). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2020 rating: 88 OVR (2019 NFL season, DEN). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2021 rating: 87 OVR (2020 NFL season, NO). Emmanuel Sanders Madden NFL 2022 rating: 83 OVR (2021 NFL season, BUF).