Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes have both had two Madden covers over the last few years. Unless EA Sports is fine with trotting out the same players every year, they’ll need to switch it up in the seasons to come. Who could be the Madden cover athletes for the next edition? There are certainly some candidates that are always in the running, and some primed to make a name for themselves in the near future.
Here are five potential Madden cover athletes for future editions.
Future Madden stars
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#1 – Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks)
Russell Wilson has been to two Super Bowls and has dragged underwhelming rosters into the playoffs for much of the last five seasons. Since 2012, Russell Wilson has registered a winning record every season.
The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a 12-4 season in 2020, and Russell Wilson has also put together some remarkable numbers over the last few seasons.
In 2017-18, Wilson threw for 34 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In 2018-19, Russell Wilson threw for 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In 2019-20, he threw for 31 touchdowns and five interceptions. In 2020-21, Russell Wilson threw for a career-high of 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. If any quarterback is overdue for a Madden cover, it’s Russell Wilson.
#2 – Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)
Josh Allen’s rookie year was rough. Since then, however, he has been able to double the number of touchdowns he’s thrown every season.
He threw for ten touchdowns in 2018, 20 touchdowns in 2019, and 37 touchdowns in 2020. If Josh Allen puts together another dominant year and the Buffalo Bills make the AFC Championship game or better, he will have a strong case for a Madden cover.
#3 – Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Rams)
The Los Angeles Rams have put everything into Matthew Stafford and the hype is real.
Sean McVay has made glowing statements about his new quarterback, ecstatic with the piece of business. If the Los Angeles Rams, who were able to make a Super Bowl with Jared Goff, hold their own with Stafford, who’s a sizeable upgrade, the Rams could be back in the Super Bowl.
If it all works out like the Los Angeles Rams are hoping and they win it all this season, Matthew Stafford could become the face of the NFL for Madden 23. Even if he falls short, McVay’s offense and Stafford’s resilience could lead to a couple of dominant seasons in Los Angeles, handing him a strong case for a Madden cover regardless of where the chips fall.
#4 – Aaron Donald (Los Angeles Rams)
On rare occasions, Madden picks players who haven’t won a Super Bowl recently but have been at the top of their game for a long time. Antonio Brown was a case in point. In that vein, most would argue that Aaron Donald is the best pass rusher in the NFL.
In 2018, he almost set a new record for sacks in a season at 20.5. He has had at least 11 sacks in all but two seasons in his career. In those seasons, he was still able to get eight and nine sacks. However, at 30 years old, time is running out.
#5 – Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers)
Justin Herbert’s NFL career is still in its nascent stages, but the quarterback has been on fire regardless.
His rookie season saw him put up 31 touchdowns and ten interceptions. Assuming he’s not in for a sophomore slump, the Chargers could be in for a fun ten years with Herbert. If he can eventually brush shoulders with Patrick Mahomes, Herbert could find himself on the cover of Madden down the line.
