A look back at the Madden cover stars of the last 16 years

There’s only one video game that ever gets mentioned as the most realistic simulation of professional sports; Madden. It’s helped bring NFL fans closer to the game, and it’s a huge honor for football stars to be selected for the video game’s cover. We’ll take a look at the last 16 athletes (and one coach) who have graced the front of Madden. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

The latest iteration of the game features one of the NFL’s most exciting players. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has the physical tools to beat teams with his strong arm and impressive agility. An excellent choice, as younger fans would naturally try to emulate a player who can seemingly do it all.

The video game decided to go back to its roots for the 2023 version of the game, according to EA Sports. Madden was a Hall of Famer coach and broadcaster who passed away in December 2021. The game usually comes out before the year it is named for, so fans were delighted to see Madden’s face when the game was on sale in the summer of 2022.

It’s never a bad idea to go with the greatest quarterback of all time on the cover of the most successful sports video game. Brady graced the front of Madden twice in his career, although it could be argued that he should have been bestowed with the honor additional times. He shared the cover in 2022 with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

It’s only fitting that Jackson was the athlete selected for the 2021 edition of Madden. His tantalizing speed at the quarterback position is most often described as “video game-like.” Much like Michael Vick before him, Jackson was probably a popular choice for players who pretended to drop back to pass, with the idea of zipping through the defenses for large gains on the ground.

As mentioned earlier, Mahomes was part of a package deal cover with Tom Brady in 2022, but had the front all to himself in 2020. Given the trajectory of his career, it wouldn’t be surprising for Mahomes to be on the cover of the game at least one more time in the coming years. He’s already won two Super Bowls and two MVP awards in five full seasons.

Brown might be the last player to truly fall into the “Madden Curse” narrative. He had one final stellar season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018-2019, before his career completely unraveled. Brown’s immense talent makes him one of the best wide receivers to ever play in the NFL, but had some off the field issues that derailed his career.

During his heyday, Gronkowski was a fun player to pretend to be. His classic “Gronk spikes” after he scored touchdowns became famous. They were plentiful in nature, because defenses had a difficult time stopping his unique combination of size and versatility. Immortalizing one of the greatest tight ends on a Madden cover seemed like a wise choice.

As he tries to re-establish his career with the Baltimore Ravens, Beckham Jr.’s NFL start was nothing short of sensational. He was a comet who was dropped on to the field during his rookie season, who was a threat to take any catch the distance. His most famous play was his one-handed touchdown catch against the Dallas Cowboys in the 2014 season.

As you might soon realize, Madden cover nominations are usually designated for offensive players, so Sherman’s inclusion on the 2015 cover is rather unique. He was part of a Seattle Seahawks secondary that was nicknamed “The Legion Of Boom” for their trademark physical play. Sherman’s ability to lock down top wide receivers was also incredible during that stretch.

The 2014 iteration of the game was called Madden 25 in order to commemorate the game’s 25^th anniversary. It paid homage to a pair of legendary running backs. Adrian Peterson was an active player at the time of release, while Barry Sanders was a retired legend. Both are on the short list of greatest running backs of all time.

Even though he never experienced much team success with the Detroit Lions, Johnson is one of the most special players to suit up in the NFL. His nickname “Megatron” encapsulates the type of ability he had in his prime. Johnson was the type of player who could make a play on the football regardless of where it was thrown.

Some raise an eyebrow when they learn that Hillis was part of the hallowed Madden cover athlete club. He didn’t have some of the name value or sustained run of production as some other players. Hillis had one standout season for the Cleveland Browns in 2010, where he ran for over 1,100 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on the ground according to Football Reference.

One of the greatest pure passers in NFL history, Drew Brees graced the 2011 cover after many prolific seasons with the New Orleans Saints. The quarterback made 13 Pro Bowls and was the Super Bowl XLIV Most Valuable Player. Brees is also a two-time winner of the AP Offensive Player Of The Year Award according to Football Reference.

Polamalu and Fitzgerald both starred in Super Bowl XLII, which was played in February 2009. It was one of the best Super Bowls in NFL history, and Madden decided to reward both players by being on the cover of the following year’s game. Polamalu is one of the most versatile safeties ever, while Fitzgerald will one day join him in the Football Hall of Fame.

Just as Aaron Rodgers made the move to the New York Jets this year, another legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback famously made the move from the Midwest to the Big Apple. Favre’s transition took place around 15 years earlier, and gave New York the reliable presence under center they had been looking for. Favre was also one of John Madden’s favorite players to watch according to Bleacher Report.

With the 2023/24 season about to come to an end, who do you think deserves to be on the next 2025 edition?