Every summer, the Madden cover athlete is revealed and generates an incredible amount of hype. Who will it be? That buzz lasts for most of the summer until the game comes out, and then soon after, actual football is upon us, with the NFL’s regular season usually starting very soon after the release of the game.
This year, Saquon Barkley was named to the cover— reigning Super Bowl champion and the newest member of the 2,000-yard single-season rushing club.
Being picked for the Madden cover is a huge accomplishment. Only the best players make it there, and sometimes, an all-time great player is picked for the cover – think Barry Sanders in 2014. The game’s release dates back to the late 1980s and has picked up steam every year since. That is a lot of star power for the game’s cover. So, who are the best cover athletes to be picked?
With that question in mind, FOX Sports Research compiled a list of the top 10 Madden cover athletes as we head into the 2026 version of the game.
Top 10 Madden cover athletes of all-time
10. John Madden (1988-2000, 2023)
The only coach on this list and fitting that it’s the coach the game is named after. Madden was an elite coach, but also delivered in the broadcast booth and his games helped integrate everyone from young children to older adults into the world of football. He is the person who has been on the cover of the game the most (and rightly so), but his coaching acumen was a big reason why it made sense. The Hall of Famer claimed 10 or more wins in five of his last seven seasons on the sidelines, while also winning his lone Super Bowl with the Raiders in 1976.
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9. Brett Favre (2009)
The true definition of a gunslinger, Favre was a prolific passer for a staggering 20 seasons in the league (19 as a starter). He won three consecutive league MVP awards from 1995 to 1997 — he’s still the only player in league history to win three straight. From a statistical standpoint, he ranks fourth all time in passing yards (71,838) and fourth in passing touchdowns (508), and he’s tied for the second-most wins (186). For the postseason, he cracks the top five in passing yards and touchdowns, while being one of only eight quarterbacks ever with 13 wins. He led the Packers to a Super Bowl title in the 1996 season
8. Ray Lewis (2005)
A banner year for Lewis, the hard-hitting linebacker claimed his second, and what would prove to be his last, Defensive Player of the Year award in 2003. It was also well deserved, with the thumped collecting six interceptions that year, more than he had in the previous two seasons combined, and racking up 163 tackles, the most he had in four seasons. For his troubles, he also earned MVP votes, finishing sixth in the voting.
Multiple cover athletes! Two legends graced the cover for the 2010 version of the game. This choice, of course, came off the incredible Super Bowl where the Steelers squeaked past the surging Cardinals to claim another Lombardi Trophy. Still, they chose two all-timers for this one. Fitzgerald posted 1,431 receiving yards off his 96 receptions, and led the league with 12 receiving touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Polamalu had seven interceptions, 17 passes defended and 73 tackles to his credit. It was a bold choice, but befitting the performance for both in Super Bowl XLIII.
6. Marshall Faulk (2003)
Faulk earned his place on the cover from his do-it-all abilities and for helping lead one of the best offenses the game has ever seen. His 2001 season, which earned him the cover spot, was his fourth consecutive over 1,300 rushing yards, and it was his third straight year he led the NFL in yards per attempt. Moreover, it was also the third straight season he finished in the top two in MVP voting. He won the honor in 2000, but was runner-up in both 1999 and 2001. In 2001, though, he would settle for Offensive Player of the Year and a selection to the AP All-Pro First-Team
Perhaps the best tight end ever to grace the gridiron, Gronk had the second-most receiving yards in a single season in his career prior to being named the Madden cover star. The burly receiver snagged 72 catches to pair with 1,176 receiving yards, in addition to being an absolute force blocking in the run game. That led him to be named to the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro, solidifying his standing as a top TE in the game.
4. Calvin Johnson (2013)
Johnson’s best year actually came the year his game released, with 2012 marking the season he set the single-season receiving yard mark. Despite that, his 2011 was still incredible no matter how you slice it. His 1,681 receiving yards were the most in the league, averaging 105.1 per game. He was also able to find the end zone an average of one time per game, finishing with 16 touchdowns on the year. He would earn a Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro for his troubles.
Brees’ career was statistically undeniable. He and Tom Brady are the only two quarterbacks to throw for 80,000 career yards, Brees’ 571 touchdown passes are the second-most all-time, and his 172 wins rank fourth. Brees made a whopping 13 Pro Bowls and led the league in passing yards seven times in his 20-year career. In the 2009 season, he led the Saints to their only Super Bowl title — against Peyton Manning’s Colts — and was MVP of the game. Brees twice won Offensive Player of the Year.
2. Barry Sanders (2014)
An NFL legend makes his way onto the Madden cover. Barry Sanders was, and maybe still is, the most elusive back to ever suit up in the NFL. The Lions legend is remembered by everyone and for good reason. He led the NFL in rushing yards four separate times, averaged over 100 yards per game in four different seasons and finished his career averaging 99.8 yards per game. One of the most fascinating cases as well is how he left the game. Sanders collected the MVP award in his second to last season in the league and powered his way to 1,491 rushing yards in his final season for Detroit.
It was always going to be the 2022 game, which could, when all is said and done, feature the two greatest QBs of all-time. Moreover, they also met in the Super Bowl for the 2020 season, with the game taking place in 2021. That, of course, was when Tom Brady and the Bucs dismantled Mahomes and the Chiefs 31-9, giving Brady yet another ring for his historic career. Both QBs had their greatness on full display for 2020 though, with Brady tossing 40 TDs and accumulating 4,633 pass yards while Mahomes added 4,740 pass yards and 38 TDs.
Honorable mention
- Michael Vick (2004)
- Lamar Jackson (2021)
- Josh Allen (2024)
- Christian McCaffrey (2025)
- Saquon Barkley (2026)
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