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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.
Our Top 5 Best Madden 26 Cover Athlete Candidates
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 earned over 1,900 yards on the ground while scoring 18 total touchdowns during the year. He averaged a career-high 5.9 yards per carry, putting his strength and speed on display.
However, there's a few reasons why Henry might not make the cut. Like we said for Barkley – RBs on back-to-back covers might not be likely. Do not be surprised if the developers opt to go with a QB or WR on the cover. Heck, a defensive player could even grace the box art.
Furthermore, Ravens' QB Lamar Jackson just recently appeared on the Madden 21 cover. It may be to soon for the developers to select a Ravens player so soon. Sure, Mahomes appeared on two covers in three years, but the Chiefs have also been the best team in the AFC for the last seven years. Therefore, we don't think Henry will get the spot.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR – Detroit Lions
Honestly, any of the Lions' superstar players would make a nice fit, but we just ran with Brown because there hasn't been a WR cover athlete in some time. Of course, HB Jahmyr Gibbs and even QB Jared Goff would make for solid choices. We also chose Brown because of his consistency since entering the league.
His receiving yard numbers dipped in 2024, but that's because the Lions' offense had playmakers everywhere. Gibbs and Montgomery make for the best HB duo in the league. Meanwhile, Goff also connected with WR Jameson Williams. And of course, Sam LaPorta is still a reliable TE.
But despite all of the competition, Brown still scored 12 touchdowns (a career-high), while also racking up over 1,200 receiving yards. Additionally, he's a very popular receiver, which makes him marketable to the masses. Many non-Lions fans are loving Dan Campbell and this Detroit team, so choosing a Lions player seems like a safe option.
Ja'Marr Chase, WR – Cincinnati Bengals
It'd be silly to mention Joe Burrow, but not his favorite weapon. The NFL's triple crown leader in receptions, receiving yards, and TDs definitely deserves consideration for the Madden 26 cover. It's fair to say that Burrow would not be as succesful without the man he played with at LSU, and the same goes for Chase. Therefore, putting both players on the same cover would be interesting.
While Cincinnati's defense struggled all year, Chase and Burrow were putting up career-high numbers. His 1,708 receiving yards were over 250 yards than he ever recorded in a season. And there's no reason to believe he can't put up similar numbers in 2025.
One thing that may keep both Chase and Burrow out of consideration is how their team performed last year. The Bengals missed the playoffs, and there's no guarantee they're going next year. Take a look at every Madden cover athlete – most, if not all of them, made the playoffs the year prior. So don't be surprised if this affects their chances.
Overall, that includes our top five picks for the Madden 26 Cover Athlete. However, we wanted to list some honorable mentions:
- Jalen Hurts, QB – Philadelphia Eagles
The Super Bowl LIX MVP silenced the doubters with his 3-TD performance against the Chiefs. While his 2024 regular season passing numbers were nothing to gawk at, he did score 32 touchdowns while turning the ball over just 10 times. Hurts played much better than his 2023 campaign, and that's because the team has a true RB1, along with a much tougher defense than he's ever played with.
- Jayden Daniels, QB – Washington Commanders
It'd be fun to see a player earn a Madden cover spot after a great rookie season. Not many rookie QBs lead their team to the Conference Championship Game. However, it'll be interesting to see how he plays in Year 2, not that teams have a full season of tape on him. That said, the Commanders have a great roster to support Daniels over his hopefully long NFL career.
- Jared Verse, LB – Los Angeles Rams
For the sake of adding a defensive player, we chose the DROTY. Sure, players like Trey Hendrickson had a great season, but Verse has become a popular player in such a quick amount of time. A Madden cover athlete needs to be someone who's skilled but also marketable to fans. It's the reason we don't see linemen or kickers make the cut. Verse and the Rams had a great season where they came back from a 1-4 record to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs.
And that wraps up our list of Madden 26 Cover Athlete Candidates. Of course, there are many other players who deserve consideration, but then this list would be too long. And there's some who might not ever want to be on a cover, considering the Madden Curse.
At this point, we just want Football back… already. Feel free to check out some of our Madden 25 guides on passing, catching, and kicking the ball.
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