If you play enough Madden, you know the drill. You scroll through the Bengals roster, past Joe Burrow’s elite numbers and Ja'Marr Chase’s game-breaking speed, and you land on the defensive line. There he is. Trey Hendrickson. The guy who basically lived in backfields all last season. You expect to see a 95, maybe a 96. Instead, EA Sports hits you with something that feels like a slap in the face.
Honestly, the Trey Hendrickson Madden rating has been a point of contention for years. It’s one of those things that keeps Bengals fans up at night. For Madden 25, Hendrickson started with an 89 overall.
89.
Let that sink in. He’s coming off a 17.5-sack season in 2023, which was second only to T.J. Watt. He’s been a Pro Bowler for three straight years. Yet, when the game launched, he wasn't even in the 90-plus club. It’s wild.
The Disconnect Between Stats and Virtual Skill
EA’s ratings adjusters usually look at raw physical traits. They love speed. They love "twitch." If you're a freak of nature like Micah Parsons or Myles Garrett, your rating is going to skyrocket because your 40-yard dash time is terrifying. Hendrickson is different. He’s a technician. He’s a high-motor guy.
In the world of Madden, "high motor" is a trait you can toggle on or off, but it doesn’t always translate to the OVR (overall) rating. His 89 OVR in Madden 25 put him behind guys like Cameron Heyward and Derrick Brown. No disrespect to them, but Hendrickson’s sack production is objectively higher.
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Why the gap?
Look at his specific attributes. His speed in Madden 24 was around an 84, and his strength sat at 81. For a premier edge rusher, those aren't "elite" numbers in the eyes of the simulation. Madden rewards the physical "unicorns" more than the guys who win with hand placement and sheer will.
Breaking Down the Numbers
To understand the Trey Hendrickson Madden rating journey, you have to look at where he started. In Madden 23, he was an 85. People lost their minds. He had just helped lead Cincinnati to a Super Bowl, and he couldn't even break the top 40 for edge rushers and linebackers combined.
- Madden 23: 85 OVR
- Madden 24: 87 OVR
- Madden 25: 89 OVR
It’s a slow climb. Too slow. By the end of Madden 24, thanks to roster updates, he finally touched the 90s, but the fact that he has to "earn" his way back into the 90s every single year is a recurring joke in the Cincy locker room.
Is He Really "Underrated"?
Every fan base thinks their star is underrated. It’s part of the job description. But with Hendrickson, the numbers actually back up the gripe. Since 2021, he’s one of only five players with at least 39 sacks. T.J. Watt and Aaron Donald are usually the only names consistently ahead of him in total pressures.
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"Trey Hendrickson is the 20th ranked DE in Madden. He is 3rd in the NFL in combined sacks over the last two seasons. You can’t make it up." — Bengals Study Room
There’s also the X-Factor issue. In Madden 25, many fans were outraged that Hendrickson didn't launch with a permanent X-Factor or even the "Unstoppable" tag in Ultimate Team until later updates. If you lead the league in pressures, shouldn't you have the abilities that make you... you know... hard to block?
Ultimate Team vs. Franchise Mode
If you’re a MUT (Madden Ultimate Team) player, the story is a bit better. EA tends to release "special editions" of cards that reflect reality better than the base roster.
- The 92 OVR Unstoppable card in Madden 25 actually gives him the respect he deserves.
- It features an 89 Pass Rush rating and 92 Mobility.
- If you're running a Bengals Theme Team, he’s a mandatory sub.
But in Franchise Mode? You’re stuck with that 89. You have to hope he has a massive Week 1 so the ratings adjusters give him that +1 or +2 boost in the Tuesday update.
The "Hustle" Factor
The biggest problem with the Trey Hendrickson Madden rating is that Madden struggles to quantify "effort."
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If you watch film of the AFC Championship against the Chiefs, there's a clip of Hendrickson sitting on the bench after a series, looking like he just ran a marathon in a desert. He gives everything. In Madden, that's just a stamina bar. It doesn't account for the fact that he beats tackles in the fourth quarter simply because he refuses to stop moving.
I’ve spent hours in the practice at Madden 25. If you use Hendrickson against a top-tier LT like Penei Sewell, you’ll notice his finesse moves (89 rating) are his bread and butter. If you try to bull rush, you’re going to lose. The game forces you to play him exactly how he plays in real life: technical and relentless.
How to Fix Him in Your Franchise
If you’re starting a new Bengals franchise and the 89 OVR is bothering you, there are a few things you can do to make the gameplay feel more realistic.
- Ability Slots: Ensure he has "Edge Threat" or "El Toro" if you have the chance to edit or unlock them. This makes his pass-rush wins feel more explosive.
- Scheme Fit: Make sure your defensive scheme is set to "Base 4-3." In a 3-4, Madden often mislabels him or drops his effectiveness because it treats him more like an interior lineman or a coverage-heavy OLB.
- Focus Training: Use your weekly strategy slots on the Defensive Line. It’s the fastest way to get him to that 90+ threshold where his AI becomes significantly more aggressive.
Honestly, the Trey Hendrickson Madden rating is probably always going to be a few points lower than it should be. He isn't a "media darling" in the same way some of the big-market stars are. He doesn't do a lot of flashy interviews. He just sacks the quarterback and goes home.
But for those of us who actually watch the tape—and those of us who are tired of Joe Burrow getting hit in our virtual games—we know the truth. He’s a 90+ talent trapped in an 89's body.
Next Steps for Your Roster:
Go into the "Edit Player" menu in your main Franchise hub and check his "Traits" section. Make sure "High Motor" and "Bull Rush" are both set to Yes. If the ratings adjusters won't do it, you might as well take matters into your own hands to ensure your pass rush actually reflects the 17.5-sack monster currently wearing number 91.