ClutchPoints
Who should be the Madden 26 Cover Athlete? The 2024-2025 NFL Season is officially over, and we’re already thinking about the next Madden cover athlete. That just goes to show how much we miss it already, despite being only days after the Super Bowl. Nevertheless, we wanted to list some of our favorite candidates who deserve consideration.
Joe Burrow, QB – Cincinnati Bengals
The 2024 Comeback Player of the Year has yet to appear on a Madden cover. Since being drafted, he’s seen other AFC QBs receive the honor, like Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen. And after putting up the best QB numbers in 2024, it seems like Burrow would make a great candidate for the cover.
The Bengals’ 2024 season was a massive rollercoaster of emotions that saw the team start 1-4, then end up 4-7 before the Bye. The team managed to win their last five games in a row, but the Denver Broncos just squeaked ahead to claim a playoff spot.
But that feels like all the more reason to make Burrow the Madden 26 Cover Athlete. The Bengals’ QB scored 45 total touchdowns in 2024, tied with Jackson for most in the season. He also led the league in passing yards, just 82 yards shy of the 5,000 yard mark. If anyone is to blame for the Bengals’ troubles in 2024, it’s definitely not Burrow.
Saquon Barkley, HB – Philadelphia Eagles
Saquon Barkey definitely deserves consideration for the Madden 26 cover after enjoying the best season of his career. He became just the ninth player in NFL history to earn over 2,000 yards in a season, Furthermore, he accomplished this feat in 16 games, not 17, meaning he didn’t need to rely on the 17th game to break the record.
However, the only thing keeping Barkley off the cover is the fact that another HB graced last year’s cover. 49ers’ RB Christian McCaffrey was the cover athlete of Madden 25, and the developers may not want to choose another runner.
Justin Jefferson, WR – Minnesota Vikings
It doesn’t matter who’s throwing the ball, Justin Jefferson makes every QB he plays with look like an All-Pro. In just five seasons, Jefferson has accumulated over 7,400 receiving yards, averaging nearly 100 yards per game. It also marks his fourth season of earning 1,400+ receiving yards. Madden hasn’t had a WR appear since Antonio Brown graced the Madden 19 (2018) cover.
Sure, there’s another WR in Cincinnati who posted great numbers in 2025. However, Jefferson doesn’t have Joe Burrow throwing to him every week. Instead, he, along with fellow WR Jordan Addison, helped Sam Darnold achieve his greatest season yet. He makes for a great cover athlete candidate.
Derrick Henry, HB – Baltimore Ravens
Derrick Henry proved this season that age doesn’t affect him. Plus, with a great offensive line and a dual-threat QB under center, Henry thrived in an offense that could do it all. He...
