Tag: Madden

Tyreek Hill revealed as only 99 rated receiver in Madden 25

Tyreek Hill is the only receiver in the NFL who is a member of Madden’s 99 Club this year.

The Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill is the top rated receiver in the upcoming Madden 25 game and received the highest possible rating, 99, for the first time in his career.

Ratings for players across the NFL will be unveiled throughout the week ahead of the video game’s Aug. 16 release. On Monday, ESPN published the top 10 highest rated receivers, headlined by Hill, who was one point above the Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson. Miami’s Jaylen Waddle didn’t crack the top 10.

As the newest member of the “99 Club,” Hill was surprised with a gift from EA Sports that came with a message from former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

“It’s a great day, man,” Hill said in a video posted on social media. “I’ve always said I never want to create a 99 player of myself. So here I am: a 99.”

Hill, 30, has long been one of the league’s fastest and most electric players, but he put together his best statistical season in 2023, finishing with 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns.

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WATCH: EA Sports drops first-look trailer for ‘Madden NFL 25’

EA Sports released its official reveal trailer for Madden NFL 25.

Not all NFL fans are fans of video games, but many are, which makes the release of every year’s version of the Madden NFL franchise from EA Sports a big deal.

The game attempts to make the gameplay as real as the game in real life.

EA Sports just released a first-look trailer for this year’s version, “Madden NFL 25.” The game will be released August 16.

Check out the video and get excited!

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Panthers WR Xavier Legette not impressed with his Madden NFL 25 face scan

Panthers rookie WR Xavier Legette doesn’t seem awfully impressed by his Madden NFL 25 face scan.

Seeing yourself in a video game—and in one of the world’s most legendary franchises, at that—has to be a surreal experience. And for Carolina Panthers rookie Xavier Legette, his experience proved to be exactly that . . . but maybe not in a good way.

The 23-year-old wide receiver just came across his face scan from Madden NFL 25,the popular EA Sports title set to release in a little over two month’s time. That preview came courtesy of an Instagram post from Panthers Statement, which Legette carried over to his own story with what seems to be a stamp of non-approval . . .

@xavier_legette/IG

Perhaps the “likeness” is not to his liking, but at least Legette can take some solace in the fact that his scan comes nowhere close to some of the atrocities we’ve seen in the past.

Just ask former Panthers guard Deonte Brown . . .

@RacinJasun/Twitter

Or franchise great Greg Olsen, who was defaced twice . . .

Panthers.com

So, yeah, it’s not all that bad, Xavier.

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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.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow is not Madden’s next cover athlete

A verdict on the Joe Burrow, Madden cover speculation.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow isn’t the next cover star of the Madden video game.

Tuesday, EA Sports finally peeled back the curtain on the cover of the upcoming Madden NFL 25, revealing San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey on the cover.

Speculation that Burrow was the next star to grace the cover started last week when a teaser trailer for the game dropped and featured orange hues and a voiceover that sounded possibly like Burrow.

Madden NFL 25 releases on August 17 on next-generation consoles and otherwise, following up on Madden NFL 24, which featured Buffalo Bills passer Josh Allen on the standard cover.

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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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Former Notre Dame star Kyle Hamilton will have unique trail in next Madden game

The Irish star will be even better in the next Madden

As a gamer, it’s always fun to pick up the sticks and play EA Sports Madden franchise, and in the next edition former Notre Dame football star [autotag]Kyle Hamilton[/autotag] will have a unique trait.

In an announcement from the official Madden social media account, they let everyone know that the All-Pro safety will have a Superstar X-Factor of reinforcement. It gives Hamilton the trait to enter a tackling zone, where his ability to defeat run blocks increases along with disrupting catches via tackles.

It’s just an added element that Hamilton has shown over the course of his NFL career that the game just felt the need to include.

As one of the best players in the NFL, regardless of position, it’s just another fun boost that you’ll get while playing with the Baltimore Ravens.

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Aaron Donald wants to be on the cover of Madden and EA should make it happen

Aaron Donald, who owns the most 99 overall ratings in Madden history, wants to be on the cover – and he should be this year

Trivia time: Which player has had the most 99 overall ratings in Madden history? Answer: Aaron Donald.

He’s been a 99 overall an NFL record seven times, one more than Peyton Manning. He won’t be in this year’s game after announcing his retirement, but it’s a good bet that EA would’ve given him a 99 rating once again after earning another All-Pro selection in 2023.

It’s sad to think about Donald being absent from Madden for the first time since he came into the NFL 10 years ago, but EA has a chance to honor the future Hall of Famer in a great way. Donald should be the cover athlete for “Madden 25”.

Now that he’s retired, there’s no concern about a so-called “Madden Curse” for Donald, which will put Rams fans at ease if EA does make him the face of this year’s game. And as the player with the most 99 overall ratings in Madden history, it’s about time he gets recognized for his dominance on the virtual gridiron, in addition to the actual one.

Better yet, Donald wants to be on the cover. A Rams fan on Reddit screenshotted Donald’s Instagram story where he pitched being on the cover.

Do it madden you cowards (from AD’s most recent story on IG)
byu/barrenarrows inLosAngelesRams

Not only is it long overdue that Donald appear on the cover, but it’s been far too long since any defensive player was on the front of the game. Aside from John Madden himself being on the cover of “Madden 23”, a quarterback has been the cover athlete in each of the last four years. No defensive player has been on the cover since “Madden 15”, which came out 10 years ago – fittingly, the same year Donald came into the NFL. Richard Sherman was on the cover that year.

Before that, you have to go all the way back to “Madden 2005” when Ray Lewis was on the cover. That was the only other time a defensive player appeared on the cover alone; Troy Polamalu shared it with Larry Fitzgerald in “Madden 10”.

By putting Donald on the front this year, it’ll continue the “tradition” of putting a defensive player on the cover every 10 years.

Last season’s MVP, Lamar Jackson, has already been on the cover before. Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes has been on it twice. There isn’t a great quarterback option, so why not go with Donald?

Make it happen, EA.