With the reveal of Madden NFL 27 presumably just weeks, if not days away, conversation is starting to swirl around this year's cover athlete. It's one of the greatest honors an athlete can have — to grace the cover of a sports title and forever be immortalized in video game history.
Last year's Madden NFL 26 saw Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley as the cover athlete after coming off a record-setting season that saw him become the first player in NFL historyto rush for more than 2,500 yards in a single season, including playoffs. He also helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory.
Prior to Barkley, we've seen the likes of Christian McCaffrey on Madden 25 and Josh Allen on Madden 24. Legendary coach and commentator John Madden, for whome the video game franchise is named after, was celebrated on the cover of Madden NFL 23. Before him, we had our first-ever dual cover with Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes on Madden NFL 22.
So who will be on the cover of Madden NFL 27? EA has not yet officially confirmed who will grace the cover, but here are a few top contenders.
Myles Garrett (DE, Cleveland Browns)
The last defensive player to be featured on the cover of a Madden game was Richard Sherman back on Madden NFL 15. Simply put, defense isn't flashy. It's not a selling-point, especially in Madden. After setting the NFL's single-season sack record last season with 23 sacks andwinning his second Defensive Player of the Year award, Myles Garrett should be a top contender for this year's cover athlete. He probably won't make the cut, but he's worth considering.
Drake Maye (QB, New England Patriots)
The Tom Brady incarnate. Drake Maye is only 23-years-old and in jus this second season as a starter, helped lead the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl. Despite the disappointing loss to a dominant Seattle team, Maye has an incredibly bright football future ahead of him. Maye has some pretty big cleats to fill, with many comparing him to the legendary Tom Brady, but he seems up to the challenge. He finished second in NFL MVP voting behind Matthew Stafford last season, and is clearly one of the league's top quarterbacks. I think it's still a bit too premature to put him on the cover, but he's got a shot.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, Detroit Lions)
One of the NFL's most explosive young stars, Jahmyr Gibbs is coming off multiple Pro Bowl-caliber seasons. Last year, Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards and 13 touchdowns, while adding another 77 receptions for 616 yards and five touchdowns. His speed and explosiveness translate perfectly to Madden marketing, and the team at EA already seems to love him, rating him a 98 overall last year. With David Montgomery no longer with the team, Sonic is running solo this year.
Bijan Robinson (RB, Atlanta Falcons)
Bijan is the most complete every-down back in the league, but it feels like he's kind of flown under the radar in Atlanta. The 24-year-old is coming off back-to-back seasons in which he's rushed for more than 1,400 yards. He had 14 touchdowns in 2024, but just seven last year. However, he did have 79 receptions for 820 yards and four touchdowns also. He's quietly one of the most effective running backs in the league, and he's done so on a rather poor Atlanta Falcons team. While he may not be as explosive as Gibbs, he still has big play potential has certainly put together some highlight-reel worthy moments. At just 24-years-old, he's still an ascending star and if the Falcons could become contenders, he could become more visible. He's deserving, but I still think he needs that defining, signature season.
Matthew Stafford (QB, Los Angeles Rams)
Matthew Stafford checks all the boxes you'd want for a cover athlete. He's got nostalgia appeal, while still maintaining a high level of play heading into his 18th season in the league. Stafford is coming off one of the best statistical seasons of his career, throwing for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns, both a league-high last season. He was also the oldest first-time MVP winner in NFL history at age 37. The only thing that would make him a stronger candidate is if the Rams won the Super Bowl last season. With this possibly being his last season, going out as the cover star for Madden would be the perfect bow on a storied career.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR, Seattle Seahawks)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is my favorite to be this year's cover star. The 24-year-old wide receiver established himself as one of the league's top wide receivers last season. Last year's Offensive Player of the Years, Smith-Njigba caught 119 passes for an NFL-leading 1,793 yards and a career-high 10 touchdowns. He also played a pivotal role in the Seahawks' Super Bowl run, recording scores in the Divisional Round and the NFC Championship games. While the resurgence of Sam Darnold at quarterback is certainly worth discussion, there's no denying that Jaxon Smith-Njigba was crucial to the Seattle Seahawks offense taking a major step forward.
EA is apparently gearing up to announce Madden NFL 27 with product pages for the game now live. Fans can currently add it to their wishlist on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintnedo Switch 2, and PC (Epic Games Store and Steam), which suggests a reveal may be imminent.