Who Should Be The Madden 26 Cover Athlete?

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Which player do you think would make a fitting choice for the Madden 26 Cover Athlete? Now that the 2024-2025 NFL season has wrapped up, speculation about the next cover star is already on the rise. It’s amazing how quickly we find ourselves pondering this question, so soon after the Super Bowl! Nonetheless, let’s discuss some of our top picks who truly deserve contention for the coveted spot.

Our Top 5 Best Madden 26 Cover Athlete Candidates

Joe Burrow, QB – Cincinnati Bengals

The Madden cover for the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year has not been occupied by any player yet. Since being drafted, he’s watched other AFC quarterbacks receive this accolade, such as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. However, with his impressive QB statistics in 2024, Burrow appears to be a strong contender for the cover.

2024 was a wild emotional ride for the Bengals, who began with a 1-4 record and then dipped further to 4-7 before taking a break during the Bye week. Remarkably, they went on to win their next five matches consecutively, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as the Denver Broncos clinched the playoff spot by a narrow margin.

Given his extraordinary performance in the 2024 season, with a tied record of 45 total touchdowns (the same as Jackson) and leading the league in passing yards, it seems even more appropriate to choose Joe Burrow as the Madden 26 Cover Athlete. After all, if there’s anyone who didn’t contribute to the Bengals’ issues in 2024, it’s clear that it wasn’t Joe Burrow.

Saquon Barkley, HB – Philadelphia Eagles

Saquon Barkley undeniably warrants discussion for the Madden 26 cover, given that he had an outstanding season, which was the best in his career so far. Remarkably, he’s now one of only nine NFL players ever to surpass 2,000 yards in a single season. What makes this even more impressive is that he achieved this feat in just 16 games, not 17, meaning he didn’t need the 17th game to set the record.

Instead of appearing on this year’s Madden NFL cover, Barkley is being held back by the fact that another running back featured prominently in last year’s edition. Christian McCaffrey, from the San Francisco 49ers, was the athlete gracing the cover of Madden 25. The developers might be hesitant to select another runner for this year’s cover due to this previous choice.

Justin Jefferson, WR – Minnesota Vikings

Regardless of who’s passing the ball, Justin Jefferson consistently elevates his teammates to All-Pro level performances. In just five short seasons, he’s managed an impressive total of over 7,400 receiving yards, which amounts to almost 100 yards per game. Moreover, this is his fourth season where he surpassed the 1,400-yard mark. Since Antonio Brown was last on the Madden cover (2018’s Madden 19), no other wide receiver has been featured in the game.

In the city of Cincinnati, another talented Wide Receiver had impressive statistics in 2025. However, unlike him, Jefferson doesn’t benefit from having Joe Burrow as his quarterback on a regular basis. Instead, he and fellow receiver Jordan Addison played significant roles in helping Sam Darnold achieve his career best season. He is an excellent candidate for the cover athlete position.

Derrick Henry, HB – Baltimore Ravens

This season, Derrick Henry demonstrated that age holds no bearing on his performance. With an exceptional offensive line and a versatile quarterback calling the shots, Henry excelled in an offense capable of executing various strategies. He managed to rush for over 1,900 yards and score 18 total touchdowns throughout the year. Additionally, he achieved an impressive career-best average of 5.9 yards per carry, showcasing his power and speed.

There are several factors that could lead to Henry not being chosen for the cover. As we mentioned about Barkley, it’s unusual for running backs to appear on two consecutive covers. It’s possible that the developers might prefer a QB or a WR instead. In fact, there’s even a chance they could pick a defensive player for the cover art.

Additionally, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens was just featured on the cover of Madden 21. Given that the developers typically choose a player early in their career, it seems premature to select another Ravens player so soon. While Mahomes has graced two covers within three years, keep in mind that the Kansas City Chiefs have been the AFC’s top team for the past seven seasons. Consequently, we doubt Henry will secure the cover spot.

Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR – Detroit Lions

Opting for Brown among the Lions’ star players seemed sensible due to his role as a cover athlete being absent for some time in our series. That said, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jared Goff would certainly be commendable selections too. However, what ultimately influenced our decision was Brown’s consistent performance since joining the league.

In 2024, my receiving yard numbers took a dip, but that’s because our offense, the Detroit Lions, was overflowing with playmakers everywhere. Gibbs and Montgomery truly are an unbeatable running back duo in this league. Not to mention, Goff found connections with WR Jameson Williams too. And let’s not forget about Sam LaPorta – he’s always a dependable tight end we can count on.

Despite fierce rivalry, Brown managed to set a personal best with 12 touchdowns and accumulate more than 1,200 yards in receptions. Furthermore, he’s widely admired among fans, which boosts his commercial appeal. Given the growing popularity of Dan Campbell and the Detroit team, selecting a Lions player appears to be a shrewd choice, even for non-Lions supporters.

Ja’Marr Chase, WR – Cincinnati Bengals

Leaving out Joe Burrow’s top collaborator seems odd, given that the NFL’s player leading in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns is a strong contender for the Madden 26 cover. It’s reasonable to suggest that Burrow owes some of his success to the individual he played alongside at LSU, and this is equally true for Chase. Therefore, featuring both players on the cover could make for an intriguing choice.

Despite Cincinnati’s defense having a tough year, Chase and Burrow both achieved career-best statistics. In fact, Chase surpassed his previous season record by an impressive 250 yards with 1,708 receiving yards. There’s every reason to anticipate he might repeat or even exceed these numbers in the year 2025.

One potential factor that could exclude Chase and Burrow from contention is the performance of their team in the previous season. Since the Bengals didn’t qualify for the playoffs last year, there’s no certainty they will make it next year. It’s worth noting that the majority, if not all, Madden cover athletes have typically made it to the playoffs the year preceding their selection. Therefore, it wouldn’t be unexpected if this aspect influences their chances.

In summary, we’ve selected our top five candidates for the Madden 26 Cover Athlete. Additionally, we thought it would be beneficial to acknowledge a few other notable figures:

Or in a more conversational tone:

We’ve narrowed down our choices to the top five contenders for the Madden 26 cover. But there are a few others who deserve a shout-out too!

  • Jalen Hurts, QB – Philadelphia Eagles

During Super Bowl LIX, the MVP proved his critics wrong with a 3-touchdown game against the Chiefs. Although his regular season passing stats in 2024 were unremarkable, he managed to score 32 touchdowns while only giving up the ball 10 times. Jalen Hurts performed significantly better than the previous year due to having a reliable running back and a stronger defense compared to any he’s previously played with.

  • Jayden Daniels, QB – Washington Commanders

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel excited about the possibility of witnessing a rookie sensation clinch the Madden cover after an exceptional debut season. Few rookie quarterbacks have guided their teams all the way to the Conference Championship Game like Daniels did last year. The anticipation builds as we approach his second year, given that teams now have a full season of game footage on him. Yet, with the Commanders boasting a robust roster, I have high hopes that they’ll provide Daniels with the support he needs for a promising NFL career spanning many years.

  • Jared Verse, LB – Los Angeles Rams

As a gaming enthusiast, I picked DROTY (Devin Ross Tyler) for our defensive lineup. Although Trey Hendrickson had an impressive season, DROTY’s rapid rise in popularity made him stand out. In selecting a Madden cover athlete, we need someone who’s not just skilled but also relatable to the fans. That’s why linemen and kickers usually don’t make the cut. The Rams and DROTY had an amazing comeback story last season; they started with a 1-4 record but managed to finish strong at 10-7, even making it to the playoffs.

Here’s our roundup of potential Madden 26 Cover Athletes! Plenty more contenders are worthy, but we’d end up with an exhaustive list if we included them all. Some players might even decline the opportunity, given the Madden Curse lore.

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2025-02-13 19:39