NFL and video game fans now know who was chosen to grace the cover of the newest Madden video game.
Madden NFL 26 will feature Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley, the team announced.
This is the second time that an Eagles player has been on the cover. The last time was the 2006 edition when quarterback Donovan McNabb nabbed the honor.
“Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL 99 Club are both dreams come true,” Barkley said in a statement. “I’m grateful to my teammates, coaches, and Eagles fans for their support, and I can’t wait to hit the field again to give Madden players more highlight-reel moments in Madden NFL 26.”
Hurdling onto the @EAMaddenNFL cover 🙏🏾Dream come true! Fly Eagles Fly 🦅 https://t.co/zUTwOWHE1U pic.twitter.com/X1xQWIEpk6
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) June 2, 2025
The Madden NFL 99 Club is comprised of players with the highest overall ratings in the video game.
Barkley — who has been with the Eagles since March 2024 after leaving the New York Giants after six seasons — is the first offensive player in Eagles history to be part of the club, joining kicker Davis Akers and safety Brian Dawkins.
So far, he was the AP NFL Offensive player of the year, rushing for a team record of 2,005 yards in the regular season and an NFL single-season record of 2,504 yards rushing for regular and postseason, the Eagles said.
Barkley’s cover shows him doing a reverse hurdle over another player, similar to what he did against the Jacksonville Jaguars in November, however, the image isn’t from the matchup itself.
The Washington Post explained that Barkley had to be strapped into a harness to capture the photo this time.
“I got to actually do the hurdle again and realized the move that I made was kind of special, because we had to strap me into a harness,” Barkley told ESPN.
John Madden was on the cover of his namesake game through the 1990s, with his last cover on the 2000 edition. The first edition of Madden came out in 1988, The Washington Post reported.
In 2001, Eddie George from the Tennessee Titans replaced Madden on the cover, ESPN reported.
The game comes out Aug. 14 but pre-orders are now open.
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