Arguably the best receiver of his generation will finally grace the cover of the Madden NFL video game, with EA Sports announcing Antonio Brown as the cover athlete for this year’s edition.
Unlike recent covers which have had action shots of players, Madden 19 will feature Brown smiling with his helmet off to show his fun-loving personality.
Here, we rank the top five Madden covers through the game’s history.
1. Madden 18
It would have felt wrong if Madden didn’t feature Tom Brady at least once during his legendary career. He his, after all, the greatest quarterback of all-time and a five-time Super Bowl champion. Madden even released a ‘G.O.A.T. Edition’ to truly make Brady’s involvement feel special, and the cover is a must-have for any collection.
2. Madden 2004
No one in the NFL was cooler than Michael Vick back in the early 2000s and his virtual athlete in Madden 2004 was as unstoppable as it gets. You had to practically have a ‘no Atlanta Falcons rule’ against friends because Vick was so fast that stopping his scrambles was even more impossible than in real life.
3. Madden 10
This is the only time Madden has featured two players on the cover, with Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald symmetrically facing one another. It’s a cool image, especially with their hair flowing out of their helmets, and followed a memorable Super Bowl.
4. Madden 16
After Odell Beckham Jr made one of the greatest catches in NFL history, Madden commemorated the moment on the cover of Madden 16. Okay, so it wasn’t the same exact catch, but you get the idea. Beckham was also coming off a jaw-dropping rookie season in which he took the league by storm, so his inclusion felt appropriate.
5. Madden 17
Rob Gronkowski’s famous spike celebration is perfect for the cover of Madden 17. From the pose, to the ferocity in his face, it just works. Also, if there’s any player in the NFL that should be associated with a video game, it’s Gronk, who doesn’t take life too seriously and is as unfair of a match-up as anyone in the league.
