10 Players Who Deserve The Madden 27 Cover Over Caleb Williams

We have officially reached that summer lull in American sports where the only major leagues we have are the MLB and the WNBA (thank God for the World Cup this year too). At this time, many sports fans are starting to look forward to the upcoming season. Before we know it, the NFL will be back, and we’ll all start having our own thoughts.

Along with this, those of us who are gamers will start anticipating the next iteration of Madden NFL. Caleb Williams has already been announced as the cover athlete (delightfully posed in front of the Chicago skyline), but was he the most deserving player to get the nod?

Williams and the Bears had a great season, and he plans to be even better next year, but there are still a few players who have strong cases to be on Madden’s cover.

10

Trey McBride

Real Kid Gronk

I get it. Tight end isn’t always the sexiest position in the NFL, but if anyone is making it look good these days, it’s Trey McBride. Also, we’ve already seen a tight end in coverage before when Rob Gronkowski made the cut, so it’s not like the TE selection is completely out of the realm of possibility.

Brock Bowers is good, but Trey McBride has solidified himself as the best at his position right now. No, the Cardinals weren’t great, and they don’t intend to be next year, but it’s impossible to pin that on McBride, who has been amazing.

9

Fernando Mendoza

Hear me!

The eyes are already rolling with this inclusion of rookie Raiders quarterback Fernando Mendoza, and I get it. He has yet to catch on in the NFL. You might also be interested to know that I was living in Bloomington, Indiana when the Hoosiers won the national championship, and now I’ve moved to Las Vegas just as Mendoza is starting here. Potential biases were noted.

That said, IU had one of the most electric, magical seasons in NCAA history, so it would be fun to keep the dream alive with Fernando and his bubbly personality gracing the cover of Madden 27. It would also fit well with IU coach Curt Cignetti being on the cover of an NCAA game this year as well. Is Mendoza a better fit than Williams? Probably not. But it still would have been fun to see.

8

Bijan Robinson

Dirty Bird

Considered the greatest player since Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson may have had a slow start to his career, but let’s be honest – He’s not the only Falcons player to have it happen.

Either way, Bijan is finally coming into his own, and he looks as special as advertised at the time of writing. Statistically, he wasn’t the best rusher in the NFL last year, but no one should be surprised if he tops almost every rushing metric next season. He is there that good, and it would be nice to see him get the Madden cover light.

7

James Cook

Dalvin Never

While Bijan Robinson is perhaps the most talented young RB in the league these days, James Cook was an incredibly better player back in the NFL last year when all was said and done in terms of stats and impact. In the context of a receiver not up to MVP-caliber QB play from Josh Allen, Cook was the one to step up and make things happen for the Bills.

You could argue that RBs are replaced more easily than other positions, ultimately lowering their overall value, but I would argue that you can’t apply this thought process to Cook. This guy is a beast, and is expected to be incredible next season as well.

6

Drake Maye

Easy Edit Out

I will be completely honest. I personally am not a big believer of Drake Maye yet. Yes, the Patriots made the Super Bowl, and New England’s regular season success and run in the playoffs was in large part due to Maye’s high level of play. He was also an MVP runner-up for another one that we’ll see later on this list.

However, the ease of NE’s schedule seemed to finally show itself in the Super Bowl when Seattle took it to them in every metric. Still, Maye has had an amazing year, and one that is easily argued to be better than Caleb Williams overall.

5

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

A hero

JSN was the league leader in receiving yards, amassing 1,793 yards in the regular season alone. He was also near the top of the NFL in receptions and receiving TDs. All of that alone would be enough to merit consideration for a Madden cover. Of course, JSN didn’t stop there.

He also won a Super Bowl ring, adding a ridiculous cherry on top of his already ridiculously good season at the WR position. I guess you could consider Seahawks QB Sam Darnold for the cover as well, but JSN has been the most exciting player on Seattle’s roster all season (no disrespect intended).

4

Ja’Marr Chase

Just Needs A Fully Healthy Pit

Chase’s numbers last season may not have been as impressive as others, but when you consider that his star QB, Joe Burrow, only played eight games during the year, Chase’s “dip” is easily explained. In fact, Ja’Marr Chase was amazing as usual, he just wasn’t always put in the best positions to put up numbers.

He’s so good, though, that his presence alone opened up a ton of TD opportunities for fellow WR Tee Higgins, while he still managed to get his own regardless. If next season he is fully healthy again, and hopefully paired with a healthy Burrow again, Chase’s ceiling going forward is insanely high.

3

Derrick Henry

Time to Give Flowers

Derrick Henry has never been on the cover of Madden despite being perhaps one of the most consistently impressive running backs in NFL history. No one was sure what to make of his talents after moving from his longtime home in Tennessee to Baltimore alongside Lamar Jackson a few seasons ago, but Henry has continued to impress in his 30s with the Ravens.

There comes a time when a legendary player deserves to be featured on the cover of a video game, and Derrick Henry is well beyond that point of recognition. Caleb Williams was a fun, young pick, but Henry is king for a reason.

2

Matthew Stafford

The MVP

Being named the MVP of the entire NFL should probably immediately put you on the short list of potential Madden cover athletes. So, I’d be shocked if EA didn’t have Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford somewhere in the top three contenders. In the end, they obviously went the other way with Williams, but Stafford would have been an incredible fit.

Perhaps the toughest player in the entire league, Matthew Stafford is the poster child (poster man?) of the NFL in many different ways. One day, we should expect Stafford to finally start coming back down to Earth now that he’s 38 years old, but if last season is any indication, he still has plenty left in the tank to be a safe bet for Madden’s cover at this point in his career.

1

Myles Garrett

Best Player in the League

Defensive players aren’t chosen as Madden cover athletes very often, but if Myles Garrett wasn’t eligible after his last stellar campaign, I’m not sure if he ever would. This is a shame, because pound for pound, Garrett is easily debatable as the best player in the entire NFL right now.

Of course, he had an interesting season moving from the Browns to the Rams, but I think that’s all the more reason to put him on the cover. Myles Garrett will play with something to prove next season, and the attention as a 27-year-old Madden cover athlete might be enough fuel added to the fire to turn Myles Garrett into an even bigger beast… sort of.

Released

August 13, 2026

The ESRB

Everyone / Soft Songs, User Interactions, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)