Jerry Jacobs boycotting Madden 23 after seeing Detroit Lions DB ratings

As Madden NFL 23 continues to release its ratings little by little, one Detroit Lions player has already had enough.

On Thursday, the video game dropped scores for the defensive backs, and Detroit’s secondary did not come out looking great. Interestingly enough, Detroit’s two free agency additions—cornerback Mike Hughes and safety DeShon Elliott—led the group with ratings of 78 each. Amani Oruwariye (77), Tracy Walker (77), and Jeff Okudah (73) rounded out Detroit’s top five, with everyone else in the defensive backfield failing to hit a 70 grade.

Second-year cornerback Jerry Jacobs took notice and clearly expressed his displeasure on social media.

“They robbed AO [Amani Oruwariye] definitely,” Jacobs tweeted. “Lol I can’t get a 70 tho.”

Oruwariye’s grade is definitely something that could be up for debate. The 26-year-old cornerback is coming off his best season in which he finished third in the NFL in interceptions with six. He only got better as the season went on. In his last four starts—from Week 12 to 15—Oruwariye earned a PFF grade of 75.2, good for 14th among NFL starting cornerbacks over that time period.

But people also tend to overvalue interceptions when evaluating cornerback play, as I noted when I called Oruwariye one of the most overrated Lions on the team. For the entire 2021 season, Oruwariye earned just a 59.0 PFF grade, with half of his starts (seven) earning grades of 55.4 or lower.

Jacobs may have a better argument for a higher grade. Last year, his rookie season, he was arguably the most consistent defensive back Detroit had. Despite entering training camp as a long shot to make the roster, Jacobs’ tenacity earned the coaches’ respect and he landed on the 53. When injuries created an opportunity in the starting lineup, he provided some much-needed dependability in the Lions’ secondary. Jacobs finished the season with a solid PFF grade of 65.8 with seven pass breakups and just one touchdown allowed in nine starts.

In the end, Madden ratings don’t mean much of anything, but Jacobs took enough offense from the perceived disrespect to pass on this year’s version of the video game.