The countdown to the next Madden NFL cover reveal is almost over. EA Sports will unwrap the official cover athlete for Madden NFL 26 on Thursday, June 4. The honor has gone to some of the league's biggest names in recent years — Saquon Barkley (Madden NFL 25), Christian McCaffrey (Madden NFL 25), and Josh Allen (Madden NFL 24) among the m.
This year's field includes several players coming off standout season s. Here's how the main candidates stack up.
The record does not need much decoration; it already does the talking.
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
Williams appears to be the frontrunner based on late-breaking buzz. The second-year quarterback, drafted No. 1 overall in 2024, put up career-high numbers in passing yards and touchdowns under new head coach Ben Johnson. The Bears finished 11-6, won the NFC North for the first time since 2018, and advanced to the divisional round. The timing feels right for Chicago's young star to land the cover — though any player who gets the nod will have to contend with the infamous Madden Curse.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Maye's Year 2 breakout was something else entirely. He led the NFL in completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating while finishing second in MVP voting. More importantly, he dragged the Patriots to Super Bowl LX — a trip New England hadn't made in years. EA Sports has shown no hesitation putting Patriots on the cover before (Rob Gronkowski in Madden NFL 17, Tom Brady in Madden NFL 18). Maye checks every box.
Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
If EA wants to keep the running back streak alive after Barkley and McCaffrey, Robinson makes a strong case. He led the league with 2,298 scrimmage yards and found the end zone 11 times. He's also a fantasy football staple, which historically correlates well with landing the Madden cover. At 24, he's just hitting his prime.
The long shots
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams: Stafford just won MVP after leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns. The Rams are favorites to win Super Bowl LXI. Both Patrick Mahomes (Madden NFL 20) and Lamar Jackson (Madden NFL 21) landed covers after the ir MVP season s. This template exists.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks: A true outlier at receiver — the position hasn't appeared on a main Madden cover since Antonio Brown in Madden NFL 19. Smith-Njigba led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, won Offensive Player of the Year, and caught the Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX title. He's the first Seahawk since Shaun Alexander (Madden NFL 07) to win that award.
Quarterbacks have been absent from the cover for two straight years. That drought likely ends soon — and given the buzz, it may end with Williams.