Madden NFL Cover Athletes List since 1998 with title, year, athlete name, check madden covers by year and also madden curse list. Madden NFL is a popular video game series developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts (EA). The franchise is named after former NFL head coach and television commentator John Madden, who lent his name and expertise to the series. Madden NFL focuses on American football and aims to provide a realistic simulation of the sport. The game allows players to control their favorite NFL teams or create their own custom team and compete in various game modes, including exhibition matches, franchise mode, career mode, and online multiplayer.
Madden NFL Cover Athletes List
| Title | Year | Athlete on the Cover |
|---|---|---|
| John Madden Football | 1988 | John Madden |
| John Madden Football | 1990 | John Madden |
| John Madden Football II | 1991 | John Madden |
| John Madden Football ’92 | 1991 | John Madden |
| John Madden Football ’93 | 1992 | John Madden |
| John Madden Duo CD Football | 1993 | John Madden |
| Madden NFL ’94 | 1993 | John Madden |
| John Madden Football | 1994 | John Madden Ricky Watters of the San Francisco 49ers (PAL version) |
| Madden NFL ’95 | 1994 | John Madden with Erik Williams of the Dallas Cowboys and Karl Wilson of the San Francisco 49ers in the background |
| Madden NFL ’96 | 1995 | John Madden with Cary Brabham of the Carolina Panthers and Gordon Laro of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the background |
| Madden NFL 97 | 1996 | John Madden |
| Madden NFL 98 | 1997 | John Madden |
| Madden Football 64 | 1997 | John Madden |
| Madden NFL 99 | 1998 | John Madden Garrison Hearst of the San Francisco 49ers (PAL version) |
| Madden NFL 2000 | 1999 | John Madden with Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions in the background / Dorsey Levens of the Green Bay Packers (European PAL version) |
| Madden NFL 2001 | 2000 | Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans |
| Madden NFL 2002 | 2001 | Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings |
| Madden NFL 2003 | 2002 | Marshall Faulk of the St. Louis Rams |
| Madden NFL 2004 | 2003 | Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons |
| Madden NFL 2005 | 2004 | Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens |
| Madden NFL 06 | 2005 | Donovan McNabb of the Philadelphia Eagles |
| EA Sports Madden NFL Football | 2005 | |
| Madden NFL 07 | 2006 | Shaun Alexander of the Seattle Seahawks John Madden (Hall Of Fame Edition) |
| EA Sports Madden NFL Football: Season 2 | 2006 | N/A |
| Madden NFL 08 | 2007 | Vince Young of the Tennessee Titans Luis Castillo of the San Diego Chargers (Spanish language version) |
| Madden NFL 09 | 2008 | Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers/New York Jets (alternative cover) Roberto Garza of the Chicago Bears (Spanish language version) |
| Madden NFL 10 | 2009 | Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals |
| Madden NFL 11 | 2010 | Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints |
| Madden NFL Football | 2011 | N/A |
| Madden NFL 12 | 2011 | Peyton Hillis of the Cleveland Browns |
| Madden NFL 13 | 2012 | Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions |
| Madden NFL 25 | 2013 | Barry Sanders of the Detroit Lions (Xbox 360 and PS3) Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings (Xbox One and PS4) |
| Madden NFL 15 | 2014 | Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks |
| Madden NFL Mobile | 2014 | Richard Sherman of the Seattle Seahawks (2014 season) Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants (2015 season) Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots/Von Miller of the Denver Broncos/Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers (2016 season) Tom Brady of the New England Patriots (2017 season) Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers (2018 season) Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs (2019 season) Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens (2020 season) Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs (2021 season) |
| Madden NFL 16 | 2015 | Odell Beckham Jr. of the New York Giants |
| Madden NFL 17 | 2016 | Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots |
| Madden NFL 18 | 2017 | Tom Brady of the New England Patriots |
| Madden NFL 19 | 2018 | Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys (Hall of Fame Edition) |
| Madden NFL 20 | 2019 | Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs |
| Madden NFL 21 | 2020 | Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens |
| Madden NFL 22 | 2021 | Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs |
| Madden NFL 23 | 2022 | John Madden |
| Madden NFL 24 | 2023 | Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills |
About Madden NFL Gameplay
The gameplay of Madden NFL involves strategic decision-making, play calling, and controlling players on the field to execute plays, score touchdowns, and prevent the opposing team from scoring. The game features realistic player animations, team rosters based on real NFL players, and accurate representations of stadiums and game environments. Each year, EA releases a new installment of the Madden NFL series with updated player ratings, team rosters, gameplay improvements, and new features. The game is available on multiple platforms, including PlayStation, Xbox, and PC.
Madden NFL has become a cultural phenomenon, attracting a large and dedicated fanbase of both football enthusiasts and video game players. The official website for Madden NFL is https://www.ea.com/games/madden-nfl. The game has also become a popular title in esports, with competitive tournaments such as the Madden Bowl and Madden Championship Series showcasing top players from around the world.
Madden Curse List
The “Madden Curse” refers to a superstition in the world of American football, particularly associated with the Madden NFL video game series. The curse suggests that players who appear on the cover of the Madden NFL game will suffer from a decline in performance, injury, or other misfortunes during the following season. Here is a list of notable players who have been associated with the Madden Curse:
- Garrison Hearst (Madden NFL 99) – Suffered a broken ankle in the 1998 playoffs and missed the entire 1999 season.
- Barry Sanders (Madden NFL 2000) – Announced his retirement from the NFL just before the start of the 1999 season.
- Eddie George (Madden NFL 2001) – Experienced a significant drop in performance and had several fumbles during the 2000 season.
- Daunte Culpepper (Madden NFL 2002) – Suffered a knee injury that limited his playing time during the 2001 season.
- Marshall Faulk (Madden NFL 2003) – Dealt with an ankle injury that hampered his performance during the 2002 season.
- Michael Vick (Madden NFL 2004) – Broke his fibula in a preseason game and missed most of the 2003 season.
- Ray Lewis (Madden NFL 2005) – Sustained a wrist injury that caused him to miss most of the 2005 season.
- Donovan McNabb (Madden NFL 06) – Suffered a sports hernia injury and missed several games in the 2005 season.
- Shaun Alexander (Madden NFL 07) – Experienced a foot injury that limited his production in the 2006 season.
- Vince Young (Madden NFL 08) – Struggled with injuries and inconsistency during the 2007 season.
- Brett Favre (Madden NFL 09) – Had one of his least productive seasons with the New York Jets in 2008.
- Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald (Madden NFL 10) – Both players appeared on the cover, but no significant curse-related incidents occurred.
- Drew Brees (Madden NFL 11) – Had a productive season statistically but suffered a knee injury that required offseason surgery.
- Peyton Hillis (Madden NFL 12) – Experienced a decline in performance and struggled with injuries during the 2011 season.
- Calvin Johnson (Madden NFL 13) – Had a productive season but suffered a knee injury that required offseason surgery.
- Adrian Peterson (Madden NFL 25) – Suffered a foot injury that limited his playing time during the 2013 season.
- Richard Sherman (Madden NFL 15) – Experienced a significant decline in performance and suffered an elbow injury in the 2014 season.
- Odell Beckham Jr. (Madden NFL 16) – Dealt with multiple injuries during the 2015 season, including a hamstring injury.
- Rob Gronkowski (Madden NFL 17) – Battled various injuries throughout the 2016 season, including a back injury that required surgery.
- Tom Brady (Madden NFL 18) – Despite being on the cover, Brady had a successful season and led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl, debunking the curse.
It’s important to note that while the Madden Curse has gained attention over the years, it is purely coincidental, and many players who appeared on the cover have had successful seasons without any significant negative impact.
Madden Bowl Winners List by Year
| Year | Madden Bowl Winners |
|---|---|
| 1995 | Reggie Brooks |
| 1996 | Reggie Brooks |
| 1997 | Jimmy Spencer |
| 1998 | Morris Chestnut |
| 1999 | Ray Mickens |
| 2000 | Terry Jackson |
| 2001 | Jacquez Green |
| 2002 | Jacquez Green |
| 2003 | Dwight Freeney |
| 2004 | Dwight Freeney |
| 2005 | Michael Lewis |
| 2006 | Alex Smith |
| 2007 | Alex Smith |
| 2008 | Willis McGahee |
| 2009 | Antonio Bryant |
| 2010 | Maurice Jones-Drew |
| 2011 | Patrick Willis, Chad Ochocinco, and Maria Menounos |
| 2012 | Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, and Tim Tebow |
| 2013 | LeSean McCoy |
| 2014 | Richard Sherman |
| 2015 | Patrick Peterson |
| 2016 | Eric Berry |
About Madden Bowl
The Madden Bowl is an annual esports tournament featuring the Madden NFL video game series. Organized by EA Sports, the tournament brings together top players from the Madden community to compete for a championship title and prize money. In the Madden Bowl, participants showcase their skills in playing Madden NFL, which is a popular American football video game series developed by EA Tiburon. The tournament typically features a single-elimination format, with players competing against each other in matches to advance to the next round.
The Madden Bowl has gained significant popularity in the esports and gaming communities, with professional players and content creators often participating in the event. The tournament is known for its high stakes, intense gameplay, and the opportunity for players to demonstrate their strategic prowess and mastery of the Madden NFL game mechanics.
