There's a very small group of players in the NFL that receive a 99 overall rating in the Madden video game franchise. Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey joined that elite group on Thursday.

Following the team's practice, McCaffrey was presented with a plaque that displays his tremendous accomplishment.

McCaffrey now joins Houston Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, Chicago Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald as the members of the 99 club in Madden 20. At 23, McCaffery is the youngest of the group. The video game franchise honored Donald, Hopkins, Mack and Wagner with gold cleats prior to the 2019 season.

"This means a lot. It's really cool. I played Madden my whole life," McCaffrey said after receiving the honor, according to the Panthers team website. "Getting a 99, to be in that company means a lot. It's definitely very humbling."

The only other running backs to ever receive a 99 overall rating are Chris Johnson Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, LaDainian Tomlinson and Adrian Peterson.

Madden adjustors were in Atlanta where the Panthers were facing the Falcons last weekend. In that contest, McCaffrey totaled 191 yards from scrimmage and became the first player in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards and have at least 500 receiving yards in the first 10 games of the season.

When this year's installment of Madden came out, McCaffrey had a 91 overall rating. 

Entering this week, McCaffrey has 1,059 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns while also tallying 59 catches for 517 yards and three touchdowns through the air.  He has already joined Herschel Walker as the only players in NFL history to tally 2,500 rushing yards and 2,000 receiving yards in their first three professional seasons.