Tag: madden 25

LOOK: A first look at Commanders QB Jayden Daniels in Madden 25

A preview of Jayden Daniels in Madden 25.

We know who the cover athlete is for Madden NFL 25. San Francisco 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey was recently chosen to be on the cover of the legendary game from EA Sports.

Now that we know who is on the cover, fans want to know what their favorite rookie will look like in the game. That is especially true for fans of teams who drafted a quarterback in the first round. In the 2024 NFL draft, there were six first-round quarterbacks.

Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels is the new quarterback for the Washington Commanders. One of the most exciting players in college football in recent years, Washington fans can’t wait to see Daniels donning the burgundy and gold this fall.

Thanks to X user @NickTheGoat29, we have an image of Daniels in Madden 25.

One of the biggest concerns regarding Daniels is his frame. He’s been called “too skinny,” even though he last weighed over 210 pounds. It looks like EA Sports put Daniels on an aggressive offseason plan to add weight here. The facial scan looks extremely accurate; the rest, not so much.

Madden 25 doesn’t come out until August 16, so there’s still time to get things right.

 

Look: Rams share their version of what the ‘Madden 25’ cover should’ve been

Christian McCaffrey landed on the cover of Madden 25, but the Rams made their own version with Aaron Donald on the front

EA Sports announced the cover athlete for “Madden 25” on Tuesday, selecting Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers – the reigning Offensive Player of the Year. It was an obvious choice and a sensible one, but there were plenty of other good options: Lamar Jackson, Justin Jefferson, Ja’Marr Chase.

There was even a recently retired player who would’ve made a ton of sense. Aaron Donald, who has the most 99 overall ratings in Madden history, is a player plenty of fans would’ve loved to see on the cover of the game this year.

EA went with a Rams rival instead, but that didn’t stop the team’s social media group from sharing its own version of the Madden cover with No. 99 on it. Here’s the Rams’ take on the “GOAT Edition” of Madden 25, which should definitely be a thing.

Even Donald agreed.

I mean, how good is that?

Way better than the actual cover, right?!

It’s not too late to create a “GOAT Edition,” EA. Do the right thing.

Christian McCaffrey said he’s not worried about the Madden injury curse after making game cover

He’s not superstitious. He’s not even a little stitious.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey made NFL history on Tuesday by becoming the sixth player at his position to make the cover of a Madden NFL game.

However, he’s not worried about the “Madden injury curse” that occasionally befalls players who make the cover during the following season.

While appearing on NFL Network on Tuesday, McCaffrey pushed against the notion that he’s got anything to be concerned about by making the Madden cover.

“I’m not superstitious at all about it,” McCaffrey said in the interview. “I was so excited, man…. When I got the call, I wasn’t thinking about any curse.”

McCaffrey said he thinks this stuff is a myth and “whatever happens, happens.”

San Francisco fans will hope that McCaffrey is right about the long-feared “Madden curse” as the 49ers push for another Super Bowl berth.

At the least, his status as a Madden cover holder is locked in, no matter how his upcoming season goes.

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49ers RB Christian McCaffrey named Madden 25 cover athlete

It has been a busy offseason for McCaffrey’s agent.

Depending on how much stock you put into curses, this is potentially some decent news for fans of the Seattle Seahawks. On Tuesday morning it was announced that San Franciso 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be the cover athlete for the latest installment of the Madden video game franchise.

It has been a busy offseason for McCaffrey’s agent. Recently, the All-Pro inked a lucrative extension with the 49ers worth $38 million. Now he will be in almost every home in America with a gaming console as the face of Madden 25. Interestingly, this is the second game in the franchise called Madden 25, as the 2013 installment had this name to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the game.

Of course, being the cover athlete is not always the most glamorous thing. With it, comes the potential of the infamous “Madden Curse” where unfortunate things happen to those who are featured on the game. For years, it used to refer to a player getting injured, such as Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander in 2006 who was the Madden 08 cover, or the entire Legion of Boom being hurt going into Super Bowl XLIX after Richard Sherman was featured for Madden 15. Rob Gronkowski may have earned a Super Bowl ring in the year he was the Madden 17 cover, but he was on injured reserve for the big game.

In recent seasons, the effectiveness of the curse seems to be in question. I’m of the belief it has morphed into simply a bad ending to the season in whatever form, such as the Bills losing in the playoffs last year when Josh Allen was the cover for Madden24, or Calvin Johnson Jr.’s record breaking season for Madden 13 resulting in a 4-12 season for the Lions.

Speaking of Detroit, perhaps the funniest one is when the franchise tried to break the curse by putting

However, there have been those who have seemingly broken the curse. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his first Super Bowl as the cover of Madden 20, and Tom Brady was league MVP the year he was on the front.

Of course, Seahawks fans might be secretly hoping the curse still lives on for McCaffrey, in some capacity. Maybe not a devastating injury, but maybe a critical fumble against them or yet another heartbreaking playoff loss. The 49ers star has simply been an unstoppable force on the ground, and it has often come at the expense of Seattle.

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Christian McCaffrey ended the 11-year Madden cover drought for running backs and joined these 6 RBs

Christian McCaffrey joined a very exclusive club by getting picked for the Madden cover.

As is tradition, getting picked for the annual Madden cover is the best sign an NFL player has become mainstream. That should make San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey’s selection for Madden 25 not the least bit surprising.

What is surprising is that McCaffrey’s running back position hasn’t been featured on the famed video game cover in a long time. In fact, with McCaffrey’s selection, he is the first tailback to be the official Madden athlete since Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders’ joint selection for Madden NFL 25 in 2014. That is likely a statement on how runners have been de-emphasized in the NFL over the last decade, making McCaffrey’s cover boy look all the more impressive.

In other words, running backs are making their comeback! (Maybe.)

With McCaffrey officially representing Madden now, here are the six other running backs to appear on the worldwide cover in the game’s illustrious, extended history.

1. Madden 2001 — Eddie George, Tennessee Titans

The first Madden on the PlayStation 2 featured George, a four-time Pro Bowler and former First-Team All-Pro for the Tennessee Titans.

2. Madden 2003 — Marshall Faulk, St Louis. Rams

Near the end of “The Greatest Show on Turf” offense in St. Louis, the Rams finally had their rightful poster boy in do-it-all running back Marshall Faulk.

3. Madden 2007 — Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks

The 2005 MVP finally got his virtual flowers with a Madden cover later that summer.

4. Madden 12 — Peyton Hillis, Cleveland Browns

At the height of his bruising phenomenon in Cleveland, Hillis won a fan vote to notch this early 2010s cover.

5. Madden NFL 25 — Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (Xbox One and PlayStation 4)

In celebration of Madden’s 25th anniversary, the decorated Peterson debuted on the then-next-gen cover.

6. Madden NFL 2000/25 — Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3)

Sanders is the rare NFL star to have technically been featured on two Madden covers. He was in the background of Madden 2000 and then won a fan vote for the 25th-anniversary edition on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions.

Former Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey named cover athlete for Madden NFL 25

Hey! We know that guy!

The further away he’s gotten from Charlotte, the more Christian McCaffrey has become a household name.

As announced on Tuesday morning, the former Carolina Panthers running back has been chosen as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 25.

McCaffrey posted the following after the reveal:

The newly-turned 28-year-old is fresh off the most decorated season of his NFL tenure. McCaffrey—who amassed a league- and career-high 1,459 rushing yards, 564 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns—was named the Offensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-Pro and the second runner-up for the Most Valuable Player award in 2023.

Carolina, of course, traded McCaffrey to San Francisco in the middle of the 2022 campaign. In exchange for the former eighth overall pick, the Panthers reeled in second-, third- and fourth-round selections for 2023 and a fifth-rounder for 2024.

And in case you need a refresher, here’s how that haul turned out:

  • 2023 61st overall pick: Traded to the Chicago Bears for the rights to the first overall pick (quarterback Bryce Young)
  • 2023 93rd overall pick: Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the rights to the 80th overall pick (linebacker DJ Johnson)
  • 2023 132nd overall pick: Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the rights to the 80th overall pick (linebacker DJ Johnson)
  • 2024 166th overall pick: Traded to the New York Giants with linebacker Brian Burns for the rights to the 39th and 141st overall picks and a 2025 conditional fifth-round pick

To add insult to insult, the Panthers could very well be the lowest-rated team in the upcoming video game.

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Christian McCaffrey is Madden NFL 25 cover athlete

Christian McCaffrey is the Madden NFL 25 cover athlete.

Christian McCaffrey on Tuesday was revealed as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 25.

He becomes the first 49ers player to ever grace the cover of the popular video game, and the first running back to be on the front since Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders were on it together for the 2014 edition of the game.

McCaffrey is also the first non-quarterback athlete to be on the front since former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was the cover athlete for Madden NFL 19.

This is a well-deserved honor for McCaffrey after a 2023 campaign where he led the NFL in rushing, finished third in MVP voting and won the NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

Madden NFL 25 is set to release worldwide on August 16.

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49ers RB Christian McCaffrey should be on Madden NFL 25 cover

The case for Christian McCaffrey to be on the Madden 25 cover.

EA Sports on Tuesday will unveil the cover athlete for Madden NFL 25. That reveal should show that this year’s edition of the popular game will have 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey on the front.

There are strong arguments for a slew of other players, but McCaffrey makes the most sense out of all those players.

For starters, Madden has never had a 49ers player on its cover. Given the 49ers’ place in NFL history it’s pretty surprising they’ve never had a player on the front of the game.

McCaffrey is coming off an Offensive Player of the Year campaign where many credited him with the 49ers’ success even more than quarterback Brock Purdy. It showed in MVP voting where McCaffrey finished third behind Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Cowboys QB Dak Prescott.

Jackson was just on the cover for the 2021 edition, and there hasn’t been a non-QB athlete on the front since Antonio Brown was on the 2019 version. The QB position matters a ton so it makes some sense there’s a heavy bent that direction, but this is also an opportunity to feature other players who impact the game.

It goes beyond just the QB aspect though. An active running back hasn’t been on the front since Adrian Peterson was on the 2014 version with Barry Sanders. There have been 10 editions of the game without a running back.

It’s time to put a RB back on the cover, especially one that’s the highest-paid RB in the league and just received an extension at a position where the financial value is falling around the league.

The 49ers were the No. 1 seed in the NFC and made the Super Bowl. Kansas City just had QB Patrick Mahomes on the cover in 2022. The 49ers should get some representation and McCaffrey is the player who makes the most sense. He’s the best player on the most loaded roster in football, and it’s high time RBs got some love again.

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