Straight from Heaven: The 2024 All-Madden Team

 By John Turney 

If John Madden were to choose his All-Madden team this season, what would it look like? 

Holy cow!  We're coming to the end of another great pro football season. It's crunch time! Playoff time! The time of the year when we see great players in meaningful games. And it's what I love about the NFL!

The NFL honors me by putting my face on a patch that players have sewn on their jerseys for Thanksgiving games. And now I get to honor those players by putting them on my annual All-Madden team.

Back in 1984, my boyhood friend John Robinson said that I oughta pick a team of my kind of guys. Not an All-Pro team. He was talking about something else, and I knew what he meant: Pick a team of guys who played the game the way I liked it; guys I would want to coach. Some were All-Pros, some were just good football players.

The Network where I worked then -- CBS -- heard the pitch, agreed to do it and a tradition was born. So, let's keep it going.

Here, then, are My Guys --  the All-Madden team for 2024.

OFFENSIVE LINE

I was a lineman, and that's who I relate to most on a football field. They're also the biggest guys on the team and have as much heart as anyone. They're the smartest, too, and always have the cleanest lockers. An offensive lineman has to be meticulous on and off the field.

Most of them have bad bodies. Maybe a bit of a belly hanging over the top of their pants or a big butt ... you know, guys like Art Shell or Dan Dierdorf. Back then, they formed a union and called it Brotherhood United of Bad Bodies of America.

"B.U.B.B.A." for short.

But you know what? There are not a lot of B.U.B.B.A.-type guys this year. I didn't go with road graders. In fact, compared to my usual guys, this year's linemen are svelt!  The closest to a B.U.B.B.A. on this year's All-Madden team is the Lions' Penei Sewell at 335 pounds. But he's athletic. He's someone who can run block and pass block and do all those things. But he's so more than that.

He can catch a pass. Heck, he can THROW a pass. And don't be surprised if he completes one in the Super Bowl this year. The Lions are good enough to get there, and this guy can do it.

My other tackle is Lane Johnson of the Eagles. "WAIT!" You say, "Johnson and Sewell are both right tackles, you can't do that!"

Yes, I can. It's my team!

The left tackle, right tackle thing doesn't mean as much as it used to. Why? Because all the great edge rushers play both sides these days. Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Nick Bosa, T.J. Watt -- almost all of them. No one plays just one side. So all tackles have to be able to face anything or anyone. 

On the All-Madden team, Penei can move to the left side. Tristan Wirfs, a Pro Bowl right tackle, did it last year and is a fine left tackle now. Trust me, Penei can play either side. The great ones can, and Penei is a great one.

As for Lane Johnson, he could play left tackle, too. He could also play tight end. Or guard. He was a quarterback in college, so, like Penei Sewell, he could still throw a pass ... or take a snap and run up the middle if he had to.

Penei Sewell (left) and Lane Johnson (right)

Need a guard? Joe Thuney of the Kansas City Chiefs is one of best. Need a tackle to fill in for a hurt guy? Joe can do it. He could probably snap for you, too. He's not a B.U.B.B.A., either, but he's one of my All-Madden guards. 

For my other guard, I want Chris Lindstrom of Atlanta. He reminds me of John Hannah. John was one of the greatest guards in NFL history, and he could do it all. But once in a while, he'd whiff on a pass rusher. Maybe he tried a short set and someone got to him a little bit. Lindstrom is like that. But it's worth the risk because what John wanted to do and what Chris wants to do is to smack those rushers in the mouth. And almost all the time they get it done. So the one or two times they miss, it's worth the risk.

That's the price for wanting to make defenders pay. Gimme Chris Lindstrom any day, just like I would have wanted John Hannah. 

My center is Cam Jurgens of the Philadelphia Eagles. Yeah, I know Jason Kelce is gone, and this guy isn't Kelce. Maybe maybe not yet. But lightning can strike twice. Mickey Mantle replaced Joe DiMaggio. When Deacon Jones left the Rams, Jack Youngblood stepped in. After Brett Favre, the Packers had Aaron Rodgers. Joe Montana to Steve Young in San Francisco, you know what I mean? 

I think that kinda thing is what's happened with Philly at the center position. Like Jason, Cam can lead block, get to the second level on an inside zone or duo block -- the whole deal. Also, he can dig people out on the "Tush Push" like Jason Kelce did. Yep, history is repeating itself at the center position in Philadelphia because Cam Jurgens is outstanding and will get better. 

But I want someone else on my All-Madden team, another offensive lineman and that's Dan Skipper, the big ol' tackle from the Lions. You have to have a backup around in case someone gets hurt ... you know, a sixth offensive lineman. And if that guy can play anywhere you want him to, that's a plus. 

Skipper is always on the ready. The guy will line up and lead block for a running back. He will line up at tight end. He will do either of these and then add to it by going in motion. He will line up far to the outside, like a wide receiver, and make the cornerback think "What the heck is going on here?"  Dan Campbell asks him to do the darndest things, and Skipper does all of it.

At 6-foot-9 and over 330 pounds, Dan Skipper is as big as a hotel. And speaking of hotels, I always stayed at a Ramada Inn. You get a great room and a great price, and you could rely on it, just like the Lions can rely on Skipper's versatility. He's the kind of guy that makes football fun, and the All-Madden needs a guy like him. Because football is supposed to be fun.

BACKS and ENDS

There are a few quarterbacks I like. I love Lamar Jackson. But I picked him for All-Madden last year. Josh Allen may be the MVP, if it isn't Jackson, and he's great, too. But this year, for my team, I'm going with Joe Burrow as my All-Madden quarterback. The guy is Joe Namath. His release, his arm, his toughness. All of those things Joe Burrow has.

Joe Burrow

People don't realize the things Joe Willie could do because they look at his stats. But when you saw him play ... when you asked guys like Willie Brown about facing Joe Namath ... you'd know just how good Joe Namath was. And now, I see Joe Burrow doing the same things.

Off the field, he dresses like a dandy -- just like Broadway Joe. Hey, you have to have a PR guy on every team, and on my team Joe Burrow is that guy, the guy who tells people  "We look good".  And if it's passing the ball or wearing stylish clothes, Joe Burrow looks good.

The glamor boys are easy this year -- Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. Period. Jefferson makes cuts like most receivers fantasize about, and Chase ... what a perfect name because usually defensive backs are chasing him.

But in today's NFL, you need three receivers. Who's my third? The guy who reminds me of Gary Clark, who played in Washington. Terry McLaurin is that guy, and he's in Washington, too. Every year, Terry catches 70 or more passes and gets his 1,000 yards and makes a living making clutch catches in clutch moments. He's the ideal complement to Jefferson and Chase.

They are my there wide receivers this year.

At tight end, I'm going with George Kittle. He can catch. He can block. And if your young kicker misses a crucial kick, Kittle's the kind of teammate you want. He will take that kid aside and tell him that he believes in him and that the youngster should believe in himself. 

I tell you what: I believe in George Kittle.

I cannot remember a year when two running backs had such big years in the SAME year. When I coached, there were lots of backs who had Pro Bowl years or who were worthy of being All-Pro. But this year is different. There are two running backs who have carried the ball over 300 times and average almost six yards a carry. SIX!

Maybe that's happened before, but, if it has, I sure don't recall it.

Saquon Barkley of the Eagles has run for 2,000 yards and was unstoppable at times, and the Ravens' heavy-duty back, Derrick Henry, was also unstoppable when he got it rolling. The All-Pro voters have to choose one. I don't. I'm picking them both. 

Don't be surprised. Hey, one year I picked seven nose tackles to be on my All-Madden team. So I can pick two running backs if I want to. And I want to.

Saquon Barkley (left) and Derrick Henry (right)

Saquon can start and make guys miss. Then I'll put Derrick Henry in to plow over them and salt the game away. Henry will just throw them to the ground with that stiff arm of his. It's a stiff arm Jim Brown would be proud of. Every year several guys just get thwapped to the ground with a Derrick Henry stiff arm. I love seeing it, but, believe me, defenders hate it.

But they can't stop it. 

And if you think it's a cop-out to pick two running backs, then you really won't like this:  I'm picking four running backs because I'm picking two fullbacks to go with my two running backs. Yep, you heard me -- two fullbacks.

They're two special fullbacks because they're both former defensive linemen. Who am I talking about? It's Patrick Ricard of the Ravens and Scott Matlock of the Chargers. They both play fullback, tight end and H-back and will knock the snot out of defenders. Not only that, but you can stick them in on goal-line and short-yardage defense if you want. I mean, after all, once you're a defensive tackle you will always have a little defensive tackle in you. 

SPECIALISTS

Brandon Aubrey is my kicker. Anyone who can bomb them from where he does and as consistently as he does deserves it. I have usually gone with Justin Tucker, but he had an off year. It happens to the best of them. But this year, it's Aubrey who gets the nod on the All-Madden team.

My return guy is KaVontae Turpin of Dallas. He can return kicks and punts and can run the ball. I'd love to see him take more snaps as a wildcat quarterback. You want the ball in his hands because, when he does, he's a threat to go all the way.

Who's my punter? No one.  We're going to go for it every time ... unless we let Brandon Aubrey nail a 60-yard field goal. We don't need a punter. We're aggressive on my team. And if there's no other choice and we have to punt, then I'd yell at Brandon Aubrey, "Hey! Get out there and pretend you're Ray Guy."

We'd be fine.

DEFENSE

On defense, my interior guys are Chis Jones and Cameron Heyward. Heyward plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jones is the leader of the Kansas City Chiefs' defense. Chis Jones reminds me of a guy I used to have on the Raiders named Otis Sistrunk. Let me tell you a story. 

The year we won the Super Bowl, I had to move Otis from a 4-3 defensive tackle to  a 3-4 defensive end because we had so many defensive linemen hurt. We figured that, since we have four good linebackers and only a few defensive linemen, we'll just change the scheme. 

But being in a 3-4 was hard for Otis. It's a tough position. You have to go nose-to-nose with an offensive tackle. It's not a position any good pass rusher wants to be in. But, for the good of the team, Otis did it ... just like the Marine he was. 

When he first got to the Raiders and for the next four years, he was a 6-6 defensive tackle. And he was good one. He would overwhelm people with his size and quickness and sack quarterbacks in bunches. That's Chris Jones, who's also a tall, overpowering defensive tackle who wreaks havoc on an offense.

Cam Heyward

Cam Heyward is like Old Man River. Or, should I say Old Man Three Rivers. Like all of them, he just keeps moving on, steady and powerful. He had a down year last year, and no one was sure if the Steelers were going to keep him. He'd been dealing with an injury. But this year, he's All-Madden and will probably be All-Pro because he's back to his old self.

You can't run at him. Teams never could. You can't run around him. Teams never could. Quarterbacks cannot get away from him. They never could.  Offensive coordinators around the league write this note to themselves when they face the Steelers, "Cam Heyward is a problem, and we need to get him blocked." They never did.

When you talk about tough, you have to include 49ers' linebacker Fred Warner. He played most of 2024 with a cracked bone in his ankle. He's tall and swift. He stuffs running backs and deflects passes. He can blitz effectively and can go sideline to sideline. It's crazy to see how much ground he can cover so quickly.

I know, I know, the 49ers' defense was not up to snuff this year. But Fred Warner was up to snuff, and that's why I'm making him my middle linebacker. I'm telling you: He's tougher than "Tough Actin" Tinactin," which is the best thing for athlete's foot, though it won't work on a cracked ankle. 

For my WILL-type backer, I'm going with Zack Baun. He can rush, cover, tackle, hit people, and make balls pop loose. He came from nowhere this year and wasn't even a regular on his old team, the Saints. But with the Eagles? He's been special.

This kid made more tackles this year than his first four combined. He has more sacks this year than his first four years combined. He forced five fumbles this year. He'd never forced a single one in his four years in New Orleans.  His defensive coach, Vic Fangio, has made him a jack-of-all-trades and Baun responded by making as many big plays as any linebacker this year. 

But my linebacking corps needs one more guy. It needs someone who can rotate with my edge linebackers. It needs someone who can also play inside linebacker and rush the passer from the inside on third downs. But he has to drop into short zones, too, and make his presence felt. He even has to cover tight ends man-to-man or step out with one in the slot. And he has to make plays on special teams. You need a kick blocker.

For this year's All-Madden team that someone is Michael Hoecht of the Los Angeles Rams. He started his NFL career as a defensive lineman. Then, in a pinch, they moved him to outside linebacker -- at over 300 pounds. Now he's everywhere, though he weighs probably 30 pounds less. But he's a tool you can use in your base defense or your nickel or your dime-dime defense. Just anything. 

Michael Hoecht

Michael Hoecht is like some of the all-in-one tools you can find at Ace Hardware -- the place with the helpful hardware folks. And to the Rams' defense, Hoecht is a helpful player. Just ask Don Shula's grandson, Chris. He coaches him.

One thing is for certain: Patrick Surtain can cover. And speaking of coverage I always enforced Verizon Wireless. They have the most coverage of anyone -- like Surtain.

My other corner is Derek Stingley Jr., who plays for the Texans. You know, I had so many happy days coaching football and announcing games and very few sad days. But, by far the saddest day I ever had on a football field, is when Derek's grandfather -- Darryl Stingley -- lost nearly everything in a game I was coaching. 

I saw him get hit, and it was a hit that still haunts me. It's wonderful that his grandson has risen to being on the verge of being All-Pro, which he will be ... and probably this year. But he's on my All-Madden team for sure. He's earned it.

At one safety, I want Brian Branch who plays for the Lions. I like him because he can play deep and can step down and play in the slot. And his name is perfect too -- Branch. He will hit you like a tree branch if you're not careful. 

The other safety I'm picking is Budda Baker of the Cardinals. They do so many things with him around the line of scrimmage, and he makes tackles by the Baker's dozen. Get this: He mas more tackles than almost all the linebackers in the NFL. Only Zaire Franklin of the Colts has more. 

Last but not least are the pass rushers. 

They make defenses work because, without them, your secondary would get picked apart, and teams would just run outside, away from the monsters in the middle

Browns' defensive end Myles Garrett is one of my edge guys. When he comes around a corner he bends like Gumby. You'd think he would end up like a pretzel. But he doesn't. They put one guy on him, two guys on him, three guys ... and they still cannot block him.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have long had a tradition at the outside linebacker position, going way back to guys like Kevin Greene, Greg Lloyd, Joey Porter, James Harrison and a bunch more. There are too many to remember all of them, really. But I remember they were all great. 

But T.J. Watt may be the best of the lot. He always plays hard, he gets great pressure on quarterbacks and he gets them on the ground. If he doesn't, it means he's knocked the ball loose. No one forces more fumbles than T.J. Watt. 

T.J. Watt

There it is, my 2024 All-Madden team. These are the guys I want to take into battle and after the game, and these are the guys I'd want to sit down with afterward to enjoy a Lite Beer from Miller.