NFL Madden is the official video game of the world’s biggest football league and a historic figure in sports gaming culture. Beyond being incredibly fun and delivering yearly updates aimed at making it more realistic and authentic, its cover art is always a spectacle on its own.
With the reveal of the next cover athlete for Madden 26 right around the corner, we’ve ranked the five most iconic covers in the game’s history so far.
Top-5 NFL Madden Covers of All Time
5) Madden 2004
The 2004 edition featured Michael Vick as the cover quarterback, a truly iconic moment for gamers. At the time, playing with Vick felt almost like using a cheat code. His speed, combined with a rocket arm, turned him into a true superhero within the game.
Anyone who played Madden during that era still remembers Vick today and often cites him as possibly the GOAT of football video games.
4) Madden 25 (2013 Edition)
Madden 25, originally released in 2013 for the 2014 NFL season, was launched to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the franchise. The cover featured Barry Sanders, the legendary Detroit Lions running back, who won a fan vote contest over running back Adrian Peterson, the former Minnesota Vikings star who had just won MVP in the 2012 season.
Sanders was featured on the covers for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, while Peterson became the cover athlete for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One editions.
3) Madden 10
The cover of Madden 10 remains one of the most visually striking ever released. It featured Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, two stars from the 2008 season’s Super Bowl, one of the greatest in NFL history, which marked an era of more physical football on the field.
The cover stood out with its vibrant colors and a dripping paint effect that gave the artwork a dynamic, iconic look, made even more memorable by featuring two of the most beloved players in NFL history.
2) Madden 22 (MVP Edition)
Twenty years from now, this cover will likely be remembered as one of the most iconic in the franchise’s history, simply because it featured Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, two quarterbacks who will forever be recognized among the greatest of all time.
The duo had just faced off in a Super Bowl, with Brady emerging victorious, and at the time, the pairing sparked the “GOAT and Baby GOAT” conversation. Mahomes’ legacy continues to grow with each season, and we may eventually look back at this cover as one that represented the greatest and second-greatest players in NFL history.
1) Madden 23
The legendary John Madden returns to the cover #Madden23 pic.twitter.com/unfWPYV6KD
— NFL (@NFL) June 1, 2022
On December 28, 2021, legendary commentator and coach John Madden passed away at the age of 85. Madden was a visionary in the NFL world, widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in history and one of the most iconic broadcasters the sport has ever seen.
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His charismatic style made even the most tactical analysis engaging for the audience. By lending his name to the video game franchise, Madden became immortal and a true synonym for football to generations of gamers.
The 2022 edition paid tribute to one of the NFL’s greatest figures, featuring his trademark smile on the cover and honoring the legacy of a legend.