Madden NFL 21 Superstar Abilities Guide

Superstar Abilities make a return in Madden NFL 21 to add a bit of an oomph factor to the way your players handle themselves on the field

In this Madden NFL 21 Superstar Abilities guide, we’ll be walking you through each player’s unique ability. We will detail the effects of every ability and the players those abilities are unique to.

Madden NFL 21 Superstar Abilities

Madden NFL 21 brings players a bunch of new X-Factor and superstar abilities for players to experiment with.

These Madden NFL 21 Superstar abilities are exclusive to specific players and are meant to reflect the characteristics and traits that these respective players display in their real-life on the playing field.

Quarterback’s X-Factor Abilities

Ability Effect Players
Pro Reads Highlight the first open receiver from the pocket. Tom Brady, Drew Brees
Bazooka +15 yards to the maximum throwing distance, 80 yards is the limit. Patrick Mahomes
Gambler Can not be intercepted by AI defenders. Aaron Rodgers

 

Running Back X-Factor Abilities

Ability Effect Players
First One Free Increase the fakeout rate of a player’s next juke, spin, or hurdle. Saquon Barkley, Dalvin Cook
Freight Train Increase the chance to break the next tackle. Ezekiel Elliott, Derrick Henry
Wrecking Ball High success rate on the next three trucks or stiff-arms. Nick Chubb
Ankle Breaker Increase fakeout rates on spins, jukes, and hurdles after catches. Christian McCaffrey

 

Wide Receiver and Tight-End X-Factor Abilities

Ability Effect Players
Double Me Win aggressive catches against single coverage. Travis Kelce, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Adam Thielen
RAC ‘Em Up Win RAC catches against single coverage. Stefon Diggs, Tyreek Hill
Max Security High success rate on possession catches. Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Michael Thomas
YAC ‘Em Up Increase the chance to break the first post-catch tackle. George Kittle

 

Defensive X-Factor Abilities

Ability Effect Players
Unstoppable Force Increase win rate and block shed speed against one-on-one pass blocks. Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett, Joey Bosa, Demarcus Lawrence, Cameron Jordan, TJ Watt, Danielle Hunter.
Fearmonger Apply pressure on Quarterbacks when the X-Factor player is engaged with blockers. Fletcher Cox, Chandler Jones, Von Miller.
Relentless Give player first rush move attempt for free. Nick Bosa, JJ Watt.
Reinforcement Higher chance to defeat run blocks and disrupt catches. Derwin James, Harrison Smith
Avalanche Guarantee downhill hit-sticks force fumbles. Bobby Wagner, Jamal Adams
Blitz Players wipe opposing blockers’ resistance bars. Aaron Donald
Run Stuffer Increase win rate and block shed speed against one-on-one run blocks. Calais Campbell
Momentum Shift Knock all on-field opponents out of the zone and force them to lose any progression they had towards the zone. Chris Jones
Shutdown Tighter coverage and more frequent interceptions on contested catches. Tre’Davious White, Tyrann Mathieu, Richard Sherman, Jaire Alexander, Stephon Gilmore
Zone Hawk More interceptions in zone coverage. Devin McCourty
Bottleneck Win man-press attempts. Jalen Ramsey

 

Unassigned X-Factor Abilities

Ability Effect
Hi-Lo Deadeye High and low passes thrown with perfect accuracy.
Run N Gun Perfect accuracy while throwing on the run.
Brick Wall Passers guaranteed to break the first sack attempt by any blitzing defender.
Omaha Passers will have a complete vision of secondary’s defensive coverage prior to the snap.
Mossed Greater success rate on aggressive catches of 55+ yards regardless of coverage.
Wrecking Ball Running backs have an increased success rate on the next three trucks or stiff-arms.
Grab and Smash Receivers will have a greater success chance on stiff-arm and truck attempts after the catch.
Vanguard Blockers are guaranteed to dominate impact block wins.
Selfless Players can allow all on-field teammates to enter the zone.
Universal Coverage Defenders are guaranteed knockouts.

 

Quarterback Superstar Abilities

Ability Effect Players
Fearless Immune to throw penalties caused by pressure when feet are set in the pocket. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan
Hot Route Master Four extra hot routes accessible during pre-play. Tom Brady
Set Feet Lead Greater throw power on bullet precision passes while feet are set. Tom Brady
Conductor Make all hot routes and blocking adjustments twice as fast. Tom Brady
Escape Artist More responsive to input when rolling out of the pocket. Kyler Murray, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson
Quick Draw Faster throwing animations when under pressure. Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz, Lamar Jackson
Dashing Deadeye Perfect accuracy on all throws under 40 yards while running outside the pocket. Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers
Red Zone Deadeye Perfect accuracy on all unpressured throws inside the red zone. Patrick Mahomes, Drew Brees
No-Look Deadeye Perfect accuracy on all cross-body throws up to 20 yards. Patrick Mahomes
Anchored Extender Guaranteed to break the first sack attempt by a DB while in the pocket. Dak Prescott
Gutsy Scrambler Immune to throw penalties caused by pressure while on the run. Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson
Sideline Deadeye Perfect accuracy on all throws outside the numbers. Carson Wentz
Sleight of Hand Great chance of success on pump fakes and double moves. Matt Ryan
Roaming Deadeye Perfect Accuracy on all unpressured throws while feet are set outside the pocket. Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson
Gunslinger Faster passing animations and increased velocity on bullet passes. Aaron Rodgers
Fastbreak Immediately respond to user input on designed QB runs. Defenders will respond slower. Lamar Jackson
Tight Out Improved catching prowess of all tight ends which are open. Lamar Jackson
Lofting Deadeye Perfect accuracy on all lob or touch passes. Drew Brees
Indoor Baller Easier zone targets when playing indoors. Drew Brees
Safety Valve Improved catching for all running backs who are open. Drew Brees
Clutch Midway through the 4th quarter in close games, players can easily enter the zone, and remain within it. Tom Brady, Russell Wilson
Agile Extender Pretty much guaranteed to evade the first sack attempt by a blitzing DB in the pocket. Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson
Juke Box Steerable juke animations. Lamar Jackson
Long Range Deadeye Perfect accuracy on all deep throws with feet set. Russell Wilson

 

Running Back Superstar Abilities

Ability Effect Players
Arm Bar More powerful stiff-arm animations. Joe Mixon, Derrick Henry
Balance Beam Avoid stumbling when carrying the ball. Joe Mixon, Nick Chubb, Dalvin Cook
Bruiser More powerful truck and stiff-arm animations. Nick Chubb
Reach For It Frequently attempt to gain extra yards while being tackled. Nick Chubb, Ezekiel Elliott
Leap Frog Hold onto the ball if tackled during a hurdle. Ezekiel Elliott, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey
Energizer Replenish a portion of their stamina when any skill move is performed successfully. Ezekiel Elliott, Dalvin Cook
Evasive Steerable juke & spin animations. Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey
Backfield Mismatch Better catch in traffic and route running when coming out against LBs or DL. Saquon Barkley, Kyle Juszczyk
Tank Break any hit-stick tackle (Almost). Leonard Fournette, Derrick Henry
Backfield Master Four additional hot routes, better route running, and improved catching vs LB and DL. Christian McCaffrey
Playmaker Immediate and precise reactions to playmaker inputs. Christian McCaffrey
Second Wind Replenish stamina once per play, when its half depleted. Josh Jacobs
Bulldozer More powerful truck animations. Josh Jacobs
Matchup Nightmare Sharper cuts and frequently win contested catches when covered by LBs & DL. Alvin Kamara
RB Apprentice Four additional hot routes when lined up at RB. Alvin Kamara
Closer Reduced zone objectives in the 2nd half. Derrick Henry
Juke Box Steerable juke animations. Dalvin Cook
Nasty Streak Frequently attempt & win impact blocks against LBs & DBs when playing lineman or fullback. Kyle Juszczyk

 

Wide Receiver and Tight-End Superstar Abilities

Ability Effect Players
Short In Elite More consistent in catching passes less than 10 yards from the LoS, inside the numbers. DeAndre Hopkins, George Kittle, Michael Thomas
Mid In Elite More consistent in catching passes 10-20 yards from LoS, inside the numbers. Courtland Sutton, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Zach Ertz, Julian Edelman
Deep In Elite More consistent in catching passes 20+ yards from LoS, inside the numbers Stefon Diggs
Short Out Elite More consistent in catching passes less than 10 yards from the LoS, outside the numbers. Tyreek Hill, George Kittle, DJ Moore, Michael Thomas
Mid Out Elite More consistent in catching passes 10-20 yards from the LoS, outside the numbers. Keenan Allen, Julio Jones, Kenny Golladay, DJ Moore, Adam Thielen
Deep Out Elite More consistent in catching passes 20 +yards from the LoS, outside the numbers Allen Robinson, Mike Evans, Travis Kelce, TY Hilton, Amari Cooper
Outside Apprentice When lined up outside have access to four additional hot routes. Allen Robinson, Keenan Allen, Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, Davante Adams
Juke Box Steerable juke animations Stefon Diggs, Odell Beckham, Tyreek Hill
Grab-N-Go Be able to quickly shift momentum, change direction, and turn the corner without losing any speed. Stefon Diggs, Odell Beckham, Tyreek Hill
Return Man Be able to quickly shift momentum, change direction, and turn the corner without losing speed on kick and punt returns. Cordarelle Patterson, Andre Roberts
Red Zone Threat In the red zone, have a better chance to win contested catches against single coverage. Rob Gronkowski, Mike Evans, DeAndre Hopkins, Kenny Golladay, Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp
Second Wind A chance to replenish their stamina once per play, when it is half depleted. Chris Godwin
Route Technician A higher success rate when creating separation on the last cut of any route. TY Hilton, Amari Cooper, Julio Jones, Davante Adams, Michael Thomas
Tank Will break almost any hit-stick tackle. Rob Gronkowski
TE Apprentice Four additional hot routes when lined up at TE. Travis Kelce, Zach Ertz
Leap Frog Hold onto the ball if tackled during a hurdle. Travis Kelce
Route Apprentice Four additional hot routes regardless of where they line up. Goerge Kittle

 

Offensive Lineman Superstar Abilities

Name Ability Players
All Day Prevent shed attempts more frequently. Mitchell Schwartz, Tyron Smith, David Bakhtiari
Edge Protector Reduce an edge rusher’s chance of using a quick shed move. Mitchell Schwartz, Tyron Smith, Trent Williams, David Bakhtiari, Ryan Ramczyk
Screen Protector Win impact block on screen plays dominantly. Zack Martin, Jason Kelce, Trent Williams
Post Up Guaranteed to win any double team block. Zack Martin, Brandon Brooks, Trent Williams, Brandon Scherff
Nasty Streak Frequently attempt and win impact blocks against LB & DB. Quenton Nelson, Lane Johnson, Trent Brown
Unspun Defend against spin pass rush moves as if they had an additional resistance point. Andrew Whitworth
Lifeguard Ability to defend against swim or club pass rush moves as if they had an additional resistance point Brandon Brooks, Ronnie Stanley
Tough Nut Increased number of blocker resistance points. Terron Armstead
Puller Elite Frequently attempt and win pull blocks. Quenton Nelson, David DeCastro
Matador Stronger protection against a bull rush. Rodney Hudson, Brandon Scherff
Tear Proof Ability to defend against rips as if they had an additional resistance point. David DeCastro
Fool Me Once Gain blocker resistance points at a faster rate. Lane Johnson, Ryan Ramczyk
Natural Talent Start every new blocking encounter with built-in resistance. Jason Kelce

 

Pass Rush/Run Defense Superstar Abilities

Name Ability Players
Swim Club Ignore one bar of blocker resistance when attempting swim or club pass rush moves. Joey Bosa, Demarcus Lawrence, Arik Armstead, JJ Watt
Edge Threat Faster and more dominant pass rush moves off the edge. Khalil Mack, Von Miller, Myles Garrett, Joey Bosa, Demarcus Lawrence, Nick Bosa, Calais Campbell, TJ Watt
No Outsiders Faster run shed moves against outside zone plays. Khalil Mack, Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Aaron Donald, Cameron Jordan, TJ Watt
Under Pressure Apply pressure to the QB from a greater distance. Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner, Demarcus Lawrence, Fletcher Cox, Aaron Donald
B.O.G.O Free pass rush moves only once per play after spending a pass rush point. Shaquil Barrett, Josh Allen
Run Stopper Do not need to spend a point on shed attempts during a run play. Calais Campbell, JJ Watt
Inside Stuff Faster run shed moves against inside zone plays. Grady Jarrett, Kenny Clark, Aaron Donald, Calais Campbell, Cameron Heyward
Edge Threat Elite Faster, more dominant pass rush moves and apply significant pressure off the edge. Chandler Jones, Za’Darius Smith, Cameron Jordan, Danielle Hunter
Instant Rebate Refunded a pass rush point when successfully shed blocks. Kenny Clark, Cameron Jordan
El Toro Dominate bull rush wins when their pass rush points are full. Myles Garrett, Chris Jones, DeForest Buckner, Fletcher Cox, Grady Jarrett, Aaron Donald, JJ Watt
Speedster Ignore one bar of blocker resistance when attempting speed rush moves. Nick Bosa, Danielle Hunter
Extra Credit Have an additional maximum pass rush move point. Nick Bosa, Danielle Hunter
Strip Specialist Tackle effectively when trying to strip the ball. Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett, Shaquil Barrett, Chandler Jones, TJ Watt
Unpredictable Less likely to increase their blockers’ resistance bars when performing shed wins. Cameron Heyward
Reach Elite Reach out of engaged blocks to tackle or sack nearby ball carriers. Geno Atkins, Chandler Jones, Ryan Kerrigan
Ripper Ignore one bar of blocker resistance when attempting rip moves. Geno Atkins
Goal Line Stuff Quicker run sheds near the goal line. Chris Jones
Secure Tackler A greater success rate on conservative tackles. Fletcher Cox
Defensive Rally Grant a bonus pass rush point to all DL on any 3rd and 4th down. Arik Armstead
Adrenalin Rush All of your pass rush points are restored after sacking the QB. Von Miller
Out My Way Dominate impact block wins against WR, HB, or TE. Za’Darius Smith
Mr Big Stop Start 3rd and 4th down with at least half of their maximum pass rush points Za’Darius Smith

 

Off-ball Linebacker and Defensive Back Superstar Abilities

Name Ability Players
Out My Way Dominant impact block wins against WR, HB, or TE. Bobby Wagner
Lurker Able to make jumping, 180-degree interceptions while lurking in a zone in the middle of the field. Lavonte David, Eric Kendricks
Outmatched Likely to win contested catches against running backs. Fred Warner
Tackle Supreme Better conservative or dive tackling rarely faked out by ball carrier moves, and cannot be faked out when user-controlled. Bobby Wagner
Short Route KO Force more catch tackle knockouts in man-to-man vs short routes less than 10 yards from the LoS. Chris Harris Jr, Tyrann Mathieu, Jaire Alexander, Marlon Humphrey
Medium Route KO Force more catch tackle knockouts in man-to-man vs medium routes, 10-20 yards from the LoS. Micah Hyde, Justin Simmons
Deep Route KO Force more catch tackle knockouts in man-to-man vs long routes, 20+ yards from LoS. Darius Slay, Jaire Alexander, Marlon Humphrey
Flat Zone KO Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in any flat zone coverage, less than 10 yards from LoS & outside hashes Derwin James, Tyrann Mathieu, Richard Sherman, Jamal Adams, Stephon Gilmore, Harrison Smith
Mid Zone KO Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in any midfield zone coverage, less than 20 yards from LoS inside the numbers, and 10-20 outside. Lavonte David, Budda Baker, Fred Warner, Eric Kendricks
Deep In Zone KO Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in deep zone coverage, 20+ yards from the LoS, and inside the numbers. Justin Simmons, Devin McCourty, Earl Thomas, Kevin Byard
Deep Out Zone KO Force more catch knockouts and react quicker in deep zone coverage, 20+ yards from LoS and outside the hashes. Tre’Davious White, Richard Sherman
Acrobat Increased range on pass breakups and interceptions. Tre’Davious White, Chris Harris, Darius Slay, Jaire Alexander, Stephon Gilmore, Jalen Ramsey
One Step Ahead React much faster to receiver cut moves when in man coverage. Stephon Gilmore, Jalen Ramsey
Pick Artist Higher chance to catch uncontested interceptions, and unlimited stamina on the return. Tre’Davious White, Micah Hyde, Stephon Gilmore, Devin McCourty, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Kevin Byard
Bench Press Apply bonus fatigue to their man coverage target once you get a successful press win. Jalen Ramsey
Chuck Out Slow down their target after a successful zone chuck. Byron Jones, Richard Sherman
Stone Wall Prevent additional yardage gains while tackling. Budda Baker, Jamal Adams, Earl Thomas, Harrison
Tip Drill Increased chance to catch passes that have been tipped into the air Minkah Fitzpatrick
Unfakeable Rarely faked out by ball carrier moves. However, cannot be faked out if user-controlled. Derwin James, Devin McCourty
Lumberjack Do not allow broken tackles and cause more fumbles when cut-sticking ballcarriers. Derwin James
Enforcer Don’t allow broken tackles when hit-sticking ball carriers regardless of the runner’s size or power. Jamal Adams, Bobby Wagner, Harrison Smith

 

Kicker and Punter Superstar Abilities

Name Ability Players
Focused Kicker Slow down the kicking meter for better power and accuracy. Josh Lambo, Johnny Hekker
Clutch Kicker Immune to the ‘Ice The Kicker’ effect that occurs after the opponents call timeouts in critical situations. Justin Tucker

 

Unassigned Superstar Abilities

Name Ability Positions
Homer Easier zone targets at home. Any
Protected QBs receive better pass blocking from all OL. QB
Human Joystick Ball carriers can change direction and turn without losing speed. QB, WR, TE, HB

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