EA Sports revealed that Philadelphia Eagles superstar running back Saquon Barkley will grace this year's Madden 26 cover. The art chosen is reminiscent of Barkley's most iconic play in 2024, a 14-yard reception during which he reverse-hurdled over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones. It represents one of the most memorable covers in recent Madden franchise history.
.@Saquon hurdled his way onto the cover of #Madden26
— Madden NFL 26 (@EAMaddenNFL) June 2, 2025
Coming 8.14.25. Pre-Order Today.
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After producing just the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in NFL history, Barkley was a straightforward choice. Barkley was an instant difference maker, helping propel the Eagles to winning Super Bowl LIX. It's the type of achievement that lands you the Madden cover.
Barkley is the second straight running back to grace the cover after Christian McCaffrey was last year's featured image. Madden prioritizes playmakers. With this year's cover revealed, we've identified three potential candidates to succeed Barkley next year.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
Madden has a long history of rewarding rookie performances with the honor of gracing their cover. Las Vegas Raiders rookie running back Ashton Jeanty feels like a legit candidate to be a contender next June. Ironically, Jeanty is the highest-drafted running back to enter the league since Barkley (2018), this year's cover star.
The Raiders drafted Jeanty at No. 6 to operate as a run-heavy offense. It feels well within the realm of possibility that Jeanty could rush for 1,500-plus yards as a rookie and finish within the top five of the 2025 NFL rushing yards leaderboard. Such a debut campaign would land him accolades next offseason.
Caleb Williams, QB, Chicago Bears
Before Barkley and McCaffrey made it consecutive covers graced by running backs, Madden had featured quarterbacks on four of its previous five covers (2020-22, 2024). Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen have all received the honor via recent iterations. If there's an underrated candidate next year, it could be Chicago Bears sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams entered the NFL last year with the overused "generational" label. The No. 1 overall pick navigated multiple challenges, including an incompetent coaching staff. Williams still strung together a quality rookie season, albeit one that didn't meet full expectations, throwing 3,541 yards and 20 touchdowns. This year, he'll be coached by offensive genius Ben Johnson. A sizable step forward could land him the Madden cover.
Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals
Had Barkley not rushed for 2,000 yards and won a Super Bowl, is there any doubt that Ja'Marr Chase would be this year's cover star? Chase enjoyed a historical campaign with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2024. The dynamic wideout won the league's receiving Triple Crown, leading all NFL receivers in every major pass-catching category.
Madden hasn't featured a receiver on its art since Antonio Brown in 2019. That's, ahem, aged poorly. Madden is overdue for another superstar receiver to don its cover art. If Chase comes anywhere close to replicating last season's production, the multi-time Pro Bowler should be a frontrunner. A two-man cover featuring Chase and Justin Jefferson would go extremely hard.
