Madden NFL 1995 shipped in summer 1994 for the 1994 NFL season. Launch ratings are set before the season is played, so they reflect the previous year’s performance - a player’s breakout shows up in the next year’s game.
Madden NFL 95 released in 1994 and was a turning point for the series, the first to carry every NFL team, full real rosters, a 16-game season, and a playoff run. John Madden was on the cover, and the game's depth set the template every later edition would build on.
San Francisco won Super Bowl XXIX, 49-26 over San Diego, Steve Young named game MVP after a record six touchdown passes. Young also won regular-season MVP with a record 112.8 passer rating and 35 touchdowns, Barry Sanders won Offensive Player of the Year with 1,883 rushing yards, Jerry Rice caught 112 balls for 1,499 yards, and Deion Sanders won Defensive Player of the Year in his lone season with the 49ers.
Young finally stepped out of Joe Montana's shadow with one of the great quarterback seasons ever recorded. Deion Sanders' shutdown coverage set the standard for the cornerback rating, and Barry Sanders' OPOY year kept him atop the running back board where he lived all decade.