Looking back at the history of 'Madden' cover athletes

Before cover athletes became a thing, the man who lent his name to the game appeared on the cover every year. From 1988’s “John Madden Football” until “Madden NFL 2000,” the former Raiders coach and TV analyst was the face of the franchise. There are a few caveats. Erik Williams, Karl Wilson, Cary Brabham and Gordon Laro all appeared in the background. You probably haven’t heard of them because they were not famous players. They just happened to be in the action shot that was captured. Notable name Barry Sanders was also featured in the background of “Madden NFL 2000.” Meanwhile, in Europe, Garrison Hearst and Dorsey Levens both got to be cover athletes before the United States got in on the fun.

By appearing on the cover of “Madden NFL 2001,” Eddie George received the honor as the first “Madden” cover athlete. The Heisman Trophy winner out of Ohio State was a Tennessee Titan at the time. When he got the honor, George was coming off a First-Team All-Pro season, the one time in his career he did that. The next season, he was held under 1,000 yards rushing, making him the first curse “victim.” He bounced back in 2002 and finished his career as a Cowboy in 2004.

Neither George nor Culpepper have gone down as all-time greats, but both were excellent players at their peaks. In 2000, his first season as a starter, Culpepper was an All-Pro — earning the cover for the 2002 edition of the game, and he was a Pro Bowler three times by 2004. Then, he hurt his knee, and that was effectively that. He played for the Dolphins, Raiders and Lions before his career ended with, of all teams, the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the UFL.

Now we’ve got ourselves a legend on our hands! One of the best receiving backs ever, Faulk was a seven-time Pro Bowler and won the MVP in 2000. Rightfully, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011, and during his prime, he landed the cover on the 2003 version of "Madden."

Michael Vick’s history is complex. He entered the league as one of the most amazing athletes we’ve ever seen. His numbers weren’t always there, but the highlights were, and he’s the only quarterback to run for over 1,000 yards in a season. Then the whole dog fighting ring conviction happened, and he went to prison. After that, he returned to the NFL and had some on-field redemption with the Philadelphia Eagles, but it’s a little awkward to see him on a “Madden” cover now. For the 2004 edition, however, it made sense.

At least Lewis got his legal problems out of the way BEFORE he appeared on the cover of “Madden NFL 2005.” One of the rare defensive players to get the honor, Lewis played his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens. Though linebacker isn’t the most glamorous position, considering that Lewis is perhaps the greatest linebacker of all time, he still certainly earned this cover. The man made the All-Decade team for the 2000s.

McNabb had the best season of his career in 2004 as he led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl. The video game makers put him on the “Madden” cover for the 2006 edition, and then, naturally, he got hurt. Despite being booed when drafted, McNabb had a ton of success in Philly, and his number has been retired by the franchise. He ended his career with a couple bad years with Washington and Minnesota, but his time with the Eagles made him an iconic quarterback of the new millennium.

Given how good he was for a period of time, it feels like Alexander has been somewhat forgotten. He had a great five-year stretch with the Seahawks that culminated with him rushing for 1,880 yards and a then-record 27 touchdowns in 2005, which helped him earn the cover for the 2007 release.

Hey, Vince Young was fun in college at Texas. He also showed potential as a rookie with the Titans. Then, his career went off a cliff, and he’s generally thought of as a bust now. Meanwhile, for the Spanish language 2008 version, Luis Castillo was the cover athlete. He was a decent defensive end for the Chargers.

If you know football, you know Brett Favre. He’s one of the most prolific quarterbacks of all time. He was like a kid out there, said every unoriginal announcer ever. Interestingly, he appeared as a Packer on the main cover, but there was an alternate cover where he was a New York Jet. Chicago Bears guard Roberto Garza was on the Spanish language cover for "Madden '09."

Yep, that’s right. For “Madden NFL 10” there were two athletes on the cover. They were both fine choices. Troy Polamalu was a great safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He and Larry Fitzgerald will likely both be Hall of Famers — that is if Fitzgerald ever retires. The wide receiver is still going strong for the Arizona Cardinals and had 109 catches last year.

Drew Brees wasn’t even a first-round pick by the San Diego Chargers, and the Chargers were so worried about his shoulder that they let him leave to go the New Orleans Saints. He led the Saints to their first Super Bowl ever and will likely finish his career with more passing yards and touchdowns than anybody ever, getting the cover for "Madden NFL 11."

This is the weirdest one of the bunch. For the first time, the “Madden” cover went up for a vote. The winner was Peyton Hillis, a Cleveland Browns running back who was coming off what turned out to be a fluke season. Was it a bunch of pranksters gaming the system or some other motivation? Regardless, Hillis barely made a dent in the NFL again. This “Madden” cover for the 2012 edition is his one claim to fame.

Megatron looks better to history than Hillis. Calvin Johnson only played nine seasons with the Detroit Lions, but what a great nine seasons they were. He made six Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams. Plus, in 2012, he had 1,964 yards receiving. That’s still an NFL record, and he landed the cover for "Madden NFL 13."

Back-to-back Lions! This time, the fan vote went a lot more smoothly. The long retired, but still beloved, Barry Sanders won the final vote over Adrian Peterson. Many consider Sanders the best running back ever. Peterson has had a great career as well and was made the cover athlete when the game debuted on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Richard Sherman is the first, and so far only, cornerback to get the “Madden” cover. For a while, he had a reputation as the best defensive back in football. Sherman was part of the famed Legion of Boom that made up the Seattle Seahawks secondary. Since football moves fast, though, the Legion of Boom is dead, and Sherman will be playing his first season with the San Francisco 49ers.

It didn’t take Beckham long to make his mark on the NFL. His amazing, highlight-reel grabs ensured that would happen. Beckham has already established himself as an elite receiver for the Giants. His style and flash made him a great choice to be a cover boy.

It feels odd that it took until 2016 for Gronk to get a “Madden” cover. He may very well be the best tight end in history. So there he is, performing a Gronk spike on the cover of “Madden NFL 17.” Even if you don’t follow the NFL, you’ve probably heard of Rob Gronkowski. His performance and persona dictate that.

Speaking of better late than never, how did it take over a decade for Tom Brady to get a “Madden” cover? The New England Patriots quarterback is in the running for best ever. He’s won five Super Bowls and four Super Bowl MVPs. Heck, he’s won three regular-season MVPs and made 13 Pro Bowls to boot. He once threw for 50 touchdowns in a year. Brady is a star. If he had retired without being on a “Madden” cover it would have been baffling.

Who graced the cover of "Madden" in 2019? None other than then newly-minted Hall of Famer Terrell Owens. The boisterous wide receiver is wearing his Dallas Cowboys jersey on the cover, which is a bit odd. He was only a Cowboy for three seasons, after all, as opposed to eight with the 49ers. Well, T.O. probably doesn’t care. He’s got a “Madden” cover, after all.

It was only a matter of time. Patrick Mahomes was a star from the second he took over as the starting quarterback for Kansas City. No, seriously. In his first season as a starter he threw 50 touchdowns and won MVP. In 2019, he guided the Chiefs to the Super Bowl, leading him to the "Madden 20" cover.

Owing to the production schedule of a video games, "Madden" titles often hit on a cover athlete a year after the season that probably clinched it. For example, Jackson is on the "Madden 21" cover, and in 2019 he was the NFL MVP, having rushed for 1,206 yards, a record for a quarterback. It was all good, though, as he ran for 1,000 yards the next season...and then struggled to stay healthy and dealt with the NFL "figuring him out" a bit. Or was it the "Madden" curse? Well, now he has another MVP, so maybe not.

For the first time since "Madden 2010," the 2022 version of the game when with two players on the cover. Fittingly, it featured the greatest quarterback of all time with the best bet to overtake him someday. Brady, now a Buc, and Mahomes, still a Chief, were photographed together to truly share the cover of the game.

In December of 2021, Madden passed away at the age of 85. To an entire generation, he was known mostly, if not exclusively, as the guy whose name was attached to the most-popular sports game franchise ever. To honor the late coach and broadcast, the "Madden 23" cover was a throwback, featuring Madden once more, and probably for the last time.

Well, it can't be Patrick Mahomes every year. Allen, the Bills quarterback, is no slouch when it comes to skill and athleticism. These days, the NFL is a quarterbacks league, and if they weren't going to give Mahomes a third cover, Allen made a ton of sense. He's the cover athlete for "Madden 24."