As more news is made available about the latest edition of the Madden video game franchise, the latest cover model has now been revealed. This year, EA has chosen the late, great John Madden himself to grace the cover in an homage to the original cover of Madden — then known as John Madden Football — for 1988. This marks the first time in 20 years that John Madden will be featured as the primary cover person for his self-titled video game series.
This marks the first time in 20 years that John Madden will be featured as the primary cover person for his self-titled video game series. To even further honor the NFL legend, EA has announced that the two alternative covers will also feature Madden in order to properly pay respect to the former player, coach, and broadcaster.
There are a couple of fun ties to Philadelphia with this year’s edition of Madden. For instance, technically speaking, a former Eagle is gracing the cover of Madden this season. Back in 1958, John Madden was selected in the 21st round of the NFL draft with the 244th pick by the Philadelphia Eagles. Madden would join the Eagles for training camp but would unfortunately never see any regular-season action with Philadelphia as he would suffer a career-ending knee injury during camp.
Another interesting tie to Philadelphia is the artwork designer for one of the special editions. This year, the All-Madden edition was designed by Philadelphia artist Chuck Styles, who some may know for his work with Topps on “Project 70“, an exclusive set on MLB trading cards. The talented artist knocked the cover out of the park turning the original cover of “John Madden’s Football” into a special homage and thank you to the series’ namesake.
It’s nearly impossible to think about football and not think of John Madden. The Hall of Fame, former head coach of the Oakland Raiders, passed in late December of 2021 and was mourned by many who were touched by his legacy. Madden has helped to inspire the love of football in millions of viewers and players alike, and this year’s edition is already set up to be a memorable tribute.
