There was no way that EA Sports knew about the looming suspension for Tamba Hali. Yet somehow the Kansas City Chiefs defensive star was left out of the top ten rated defensive players in the NFL for the latest edition of Madden '13.
While everyone on the list is a great defender, Hali is undoubtedly one of the best 3-4 pass rushers in the NFL. Justin Smith cracked the top five for the San Francisco 49ers, and Mario Williams made it for the Buffalo Bills (that sounds weird) despite missing 11 regular season games last year with an injury. In other words, as great as these players are, Hali definitely got slighted for some higher-profile players who enjoy larger market attention.
Hali has 26.5 sacks the last two seasons despite drawing constant double teams and holding calls for a Chiefs team that lacks any other real pass rushing threat. Perhaps another elite level season is needed to earn league-wide respect -- or at least from the video gaming community.
Darrelle Revis earned the top designation among defensive players with a 99 overall rating.