There’s this seemingly widespread opinion that running backs do not win you Super Bowls and that placing your franchise’s future on a running back is always a bad idea. Madden NFL 24 player ratings provide some interesting evidence for this theory.
The best RBs in the game are quite formidable, but that doesn’t necessarily help their case. The five best RBs in Madden NFL 24 are all 93 OVR and above, and all of them can be found among the top 50 players in the game. The same can’t be said about quarterbacks, though QBs have a representative in the exclusive 99 OVR club, something RBs couldn’t match.
Here are the best running backs in Madden 24.
The best running backs in Madden NFL 24
- Nick Chubb – 97 OVR (Cleveland Browns)
- Christian McCaffrey – 96 OVR (San Francisco 49ers)
- Josh Jacobs – 95 OVR (Las Vegas Raiders)
- Derrick Henry – 94 OVR (Tennessee Titans)
- Saquon Barkley – 93 OVR (New York Giants)
These five players are the only running backs with a 90+ OVR rating in Madden NFL 24. We’re not saying playing a rushing game with other teams is impossible, but it will be a hell of a lot more difficult.
The best RB in Madden NFL 24 is Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns, with a 97 OVR. He’s a perfect example of the running back issue that plagues all of the top-rated RBs. Chubb had a career year in 2022, setting personal records for rushing attempts and total yards, as well as overall touchdowns. His Browns were also 7-10 and missed the playoffs for the fourth time in Chubb’s five seasons on the team. That’s a theme we’ll see a lot, but at least Nick Chubb has the highest RB rating in Madden 24 to console himself with.
Christian McCaffrey had the best all-around season of any RB and rightfully returns as the second-best running back in Madden NFL 24 after two injury-riddled years in Carolina. His mid-season trade to the San Francisco 49ers reinvigorated McCaffrey’s career as he led them to the NFC Championship game despite having a rookie quarterback beside him. McCaffrey is currently the best argument that you can in fact win with a star running back.
Josh Jacobs doesn’t help that side of the discussion as much. Jacobs’ 95 OVR is completely justified by him leading the NFL in rushing yards in the 2022 season, but it is a bit alarming that the Las Vegas Raiders have the third-best RB and the third-best WR in Madden NFL 24, and they still somehow finished last season with a paltry 6-11 record.
Derrick Henry is yet another star running back that didn’t play in the playoffs in the most recent NFL season. Henry has built enough of a reputation in the last five years to have an automatic spot among the best RBs despite the Tennessee Titans’ mediocre results. Henry scored 13 touchdowns, led the league in rushing attempts, and even did some receiving, nearly doubling his previous personal records for receptions and receiving yards.
The final entry in the top five is the New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley. Barkley had his best season since he was a rookie, scoring more rushing touchdowns in 2022 than he had in the previous three seasons combined. He also got a taste of the playoffs for the first time in his career. All this adds to a place among the very best at the RB position in Madden 24.
