The 16th installment of the Madden NFL series, it features former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis on the cover.

The game has also been heavily criticized for its questionable soundtrack, which was a common recurrence throughout the series.

[58] IGN called the PS2 version the 98th best PlayStation 2 game due to its AI quality and graphics.

[59] During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Madden NFL 2005 for "Console Sports Simulation Game of the Year", which was ultimately awarded to ESPN NFL 2K5.

This greatly reduced Madden sales that year; one EA Sports developer recalled that "[i]t scared the hell out of us".