NFL star Matthew Judon calls out EA over his appearance in Madden 23

Jacob Hale
matthew judon in madden 23

NFL star Matthew Judon has called out EA SPORTS over how he looks in Madden 23, clearly baffled at how they decided to present him.

Every year, the new annual cycle of sports games arrives with the likes of FIFA, NBA 2K, and Madden hitting shelves throughout the year. Like clockwork, players and critics alike also call out issues with the games.

It’s not just the fans though — sometimes the pros themselves have some gripes with the game. While normally this would be based around their in-game stats and ratings, the New England Patriots’ Matthew Judon couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw himself in Madden 23.

Judon — who arrives in Madden 23 as the Patriots’ highest-rated player, at 87, and a top 20 linebacker in the game — isn’t likely to have many gripes with his rating, which has improved by 5 since Madden 22.

In fact, that’s exactly what he said when calling out EA, saying to “skip the ratings” before asking “wtf is this” with a screenshot of him in-game versus a photo in real life.

Tennessee Titans safety Adrian Colbert was one of the first to respond, joking that “they got it right” with how Judon looks.

With how technology has progressed and how lifelike players can look across these sports simulation games, you can definitely understand why Judon would be frustrated by feeling like they didn’t get it right.

Whether EA decides to fix things up a bit and try to appease Judon, be it through an update in Madden 23 or when Madden 24 launches next year.

Madden 23 launches officially on Friday, August 19, but some players are eligible to earn early access and have already started playing.

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About The Author

Jacob is Dexerto’s UK Editor and Call of Duty esports specialist. With a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Creative Writing, he previously worked as an Editor at Ginx TV. Jacob was nominated for Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Esports Awards. Contact: jacob.hale@dexerto.com.