Madden 23 Ratings have a clear winner between Deshaun Watson and Baker Mayfield

Madden 23 Ratings landed in a flurry just last week, and as the dust settles it's becoming clear how the game sees certain players.

We're taking a closer look here at the Madden 23 rating for Deshaun Watson and for Baker Mayfield to see how things compare.

Does Baker Mayfield or Deshaun Watson have the better Madden 23 Rating?

Two of the biggest names occupying headlines throughout the NFL offseason have been Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson.

With Madden 23 just weeks away from launch, we're finally learning how EA and the fabled Madden Ratings Adjusters view these two players.

While both are currently listed as Cleveland Browns players on the official Madden Ratings Database, that'll be changed for Mayfield likely with an update at launch now that he's signed with the Carolina Panthers.

If the Madden 23 ratings are to be believed, going with Watson over Mayfield was an undeniable success for the Browns as EA has put Watson significantly higher.

PRE ORDER NOW: Secure your copy of Madden 23 before it arrives

Baker Mayfield gets just a 77 OVR rating in Madden 23, but Deshaun Watson will have an 84 OVR rating at launch despite not playing a single snap last season.

Neither player will be the only quarterback of note on their roster as the season gets rolling, though it's for very different reasons.

On the Carolina Panthers, Mayfield will compete for the starting job against Sam Darnold, who earned a 71 OVR rating in Madden 23, and rookie third-round pick Matt Corral, who earned a 68 OVR rating at launch.

Meanwhile, the Cleveland Browns intend to lean on Jacoby Brissett, who received a 70 OVR rating, if Watson isn't available at the start of the season.

While the Browns seem set on making Watson their future, there's plenty of uncertainty as discipline could still be coming following the 20+ women who made sexual misconduct allegations against him.

Do the numbers back up these Madden 23 Ratings?

While some fans are definitely going to see the decision to put Watson above Mayfield as odd, it's worth taking a moment to see what kind of pictures the numbers paint.

Both players have close to four complete seasons worth of games under their belts, and Watson does actually win out in most pure statistical categories.

Over his career, Watson has more touchdowns, a higher Quarterback Rating, higher yards per attempt, significantly more rushing yards, and a better completion percentage.

Of course, these statistics lie just as much on the skills of those around these players as the players themselves, and it's arguable that Watson had more to work with at times.

However, as much as the numbers seem to justify the decision, they start to fall apart when you remember that Watson hasn't played in an actual NFL game since January 3, 2021.

Despite not playing all last season, EA Sports somehow felt they had enough information to actively adjust Watson's ratings throughout the year.

Watson's actions off the field must be condemned, and they were enough to keep him off the field for an entire season, but EA doesn't seem to think that absence will matter if he gets back on the field.