The Madden NFL 26 Cover Star Is Exactly Who You’d Guess It Is

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The upcoming edition of Madden NFL, specifically Madden NFL 26, is set to release soon. As tradition goes, it drops around August every year, marking the start of a new season in the league itself. With the Philadelphia Eagles expected to defend their championship for the second time since 2018, it’s Saquon Barkley who will be featured on the cover of Madden NFL 26 for both the standard and Ultimate versions.

On the typical cover, Barkley recreates his well-known backward-hurdle stunt from the last season. This thrilling maneuver was swiftly mirrored in Madden 25 and will undoubtedly return for Madden 26. In the Ultimate Edition, a detailed shot of Eagles’ star Barkley is featured prominently.

During the previous football season, Saquon Barkley joined an elite group of eight other NFL players who rushed for over 2000 yards in a single season. Since Derrick Henry achieved this feat in 2020, he was the last to do so before Barkley. Additionally, he scored 13 rushing touchdowns and caught 33 passes. For much of the season, he was nearly impossible to stop, though his performance in the Super Bowl was less impactful. However, his contribution didn’t affect the outcome as the Eagles comfortably defeated the Chiefs, securing their second league championship for the franchise.

After negotiations with their rival team, the New York Giants, fell through, Barkley chose to join the Eagles instead. This decision left the Giants in an awkward position, as their struggle to keep Barkley was highlighted on HBO’s Hard Knocks, a show that offers fans a close-up view of an NFL team over several weeks. The first season of this series focused on General Managers, but due to the publicity surrounding the Giants’ failed attempt to retain their star player, it appears this format may have had a short lifespan, as other teams seem unwilling to participate in a similar level of scrutiny during the offseason.

Although some athletes may fear the Madden Curse impacting Barkley’s 2025 season, it’s essential for him to pay attention to the “curse” associated with surpassing 370 touches in a game – a mark Barkley achieved. This curse suggests that running backs who hit this number tend to experience significant decline or injury in the subsequent season. Given the strain such activity puts on a body, it’s no small feat for anyone to sustain such workload again; however, if there’s someone capable of doing so, it might be SaQuads, nicknamed for his massive quad muscles. Keep an eye out for Barkley and the rest of the league in Madden NFL 26 later this summer. Further details about the game will be shared starting from this week on TopMob.

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2025-06-02 18:40