Since going No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears in 2024, Caleb Williams has been a walking highlight reel in the NFL. Now, the dynamic playmaker is bringing that signature flair to the virtual world as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27.
Colin Cowherd believes Williams earning the place as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27 shows how unique a talent he truly is. At 24, Williams is the third-youngest player to land the cover, behind only Michael Vick (2004) and Lamar Jackson, who was 23 after his unanimous NFL MVP season in 2019.
“He’s been given the cover of Madden for the Chicago Bears and is the first to ever be awarded that title,” Cowherd said. “I still think Caleb [Williams] is unique and rare. He is still underrated as a No. 1 pick at quarterback.”
Cowherd has an interesting theory on why Williams remains nationally underrated, even after earning the rare honor of becoming the cover athlete.
“Here’s my theory on it,” Cowherd said. “If you go look at No. 1 quarterbacks: Trevor Lawrence, Andrew Luck, Joe Burrow, Matt Stafford, Peyton Manning, they’re very traditional and Caleb’s not.”
Cowherd believes Williams challenges the mold of what fans typically expect from a franchise quarterback. His personality, style and improvisational playmaking ability have made him one of the more polarizing young stars in the league.
“From painting the fingernails to only [being] 6-foot-1, he’s unbelievable off-platform,” Cowherd said. “Sometimes I think he’s better off the platform than in the pocket. He was the first NIL star, first Gen Z quarterback.”
The argument centers on the idea that Williams’ individuality is often viewed differently in sports than in other forms of entertainment, where uniqueness is more openly embraced.
“He’s a non-traditional quarterback and I think in music, arts or movies that unique is celebrated,” Cowherd said. “Pink Floyd celebrated, the Beatles celebrated, Stanley Kubrick, the director, celebrated. That’s not how sports work. Sports are ordered with standings and wins.”
Williams is coming off a 12-5 season in which he threw 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the Bears to seven fourth-quarter or overtime victories. Still, some skepticism remains given his 60.3 career completion percentage and a 5-12 record in his rookie year.
Cowherd believes that regardless of how successful Williams becomes, quarterback status in today’s game is ultimately defined by wins and team success.
“I think in the industry of sports, to be different, you better be successful because people are going to push back,” Cowherd said. “[If] you get a Super Bowl, you get a parade; that’s about as crazy as we get.”
Still, Cowherd believes that Williams’ unique style of play puts him in rare company among the league’s most talented quarterbacks. In fact, he even places him in the same category as Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
“I think this season and I said this at the end of last year that I’m not sure outside of Josh Allen if anybody has his talent in the NFL playing the position,” Cowherd said. “I think two quarterbacks in this league have more horsepower than every other quarterback. Allen and Caleb.”
The league has a reputation for taking longer to fully appreciate quarterbacks who don’t fit the traditional mold. Cowherd didn’t hold back his praise, going so far as to place Williams in a rare category as a top-five quarterback in the sport.
“I do not think [Patrick] Mahomes has quite that level of horsepower, so I do think right now [Caleb] is a top-five quarterback in the league, but he is so different. He had a bad first year, and because he plays a non-traditional style of quarterback, we struggle with that in sports.”
