5 NFL MVPs who have featured as cover stars for Madden video game franchise
Some of the game's best players have been seen on the NFL Madden cover. No matter their accomplishments, receiving the call will always be viewed as an incredible honor. And while there are several ommissions, Madden normally gets it right.
Ultimately, only a select few players who have won an MVP, however, have been chosen as the cover athlete for arguably the most popular game in NFL history. So who exactly were those players that smoked the competition both on the field and in the video game, on their way to winning an MVP award and becoming a cover athlete for Madden? Let's find out.
Who are the 5 NFL MVPs who have featured as cover stars for the Madden video game franchise?
#1 Brett Favre
There was always an overwhelming joy about the way Brett Favre played the game of football. Even at its most violent, Favre waltzed onto the turf and commanded a huddle full of offensively-talented players before leading them down the field on a well-needed drive.
Favre’s overall accolades place him among the game’s best. By the time he hung up his cleats for good, he had accumulated 11 Pro Bowl appearances, three All-Pro selections, three consecutive MVP awards, and a Super Bowl ring.
While Madden got it right, giving Favre the cover in 2009, their timing was completely off. For starters, Favre was retired by the time he was given the cover. Secondly, and most importantly, although he did unretire, he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings.
Ultimately, the franchise got it right by sticking him in a Packers uniform, but still, the Madden franchise waited entirely too long before pulling the trigger.
#2 Tom Brady
Universally known as the greatest player to ever play in the NFL, Tom Brady has been given two Madden covers over the past five seasons. Coincidentally, during that very stretch, Brady won two Super Bowls.
Brady's overall achievements have been both jaw-dropping and unbelievable. In addition to his 15 Pro Bowl selections, three All-Pro teams, seven Super Bowl rings, and three MVP awards, Brady holds just about every quarterback record imaginable. Those would include passing yards with 84,520, passing touchdowns with 624, and completed passes with 7,263.
Officially the oldest player in the entire NFL at this point, Brady, somehow someway, is still going strong. Don’t rule out another possible cover heading his way before he retires.
#3 Patrick Mahomes
With four seasons under his belt as a league starter, Patrick Mahomes already has two Madden covers. Who can blame them? Only a very select few have done what Mahomes has in just a handful of years. In his very first season as a starter in 2018, Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 12-4 record. In the process, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards, 50 passing touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions while completing 66% of his passes.
In year two, his overall numbers may have dipped slightly, throwing for 4,031 yards and 26 touchdowns, but the end results were exactly what he was hoping for as he helped push Kansas City over the championship hump by winning the Super Bowl.
With another trip to the Super Bowl the following year, although falling this time at the hands of Tom Brady, Mahomes has been practically unstoppable on the offensive end. In four years, Mahomes has racked up a record of 50 wins against just 13 losses. He’s also put together 151 touchdown throws against only 37 interceptions.
At the age of 26, Mahomes may have room to improve, a scary thought for everyone around the league.
#2 Lamar Jackson
Winning league MVP in 2019 has been both a gift and a curse for Lamar Jackson. In only his second season and first as a full-time starter, Jackson left defensive coordinators dumbfounded as they had no answers for him.
Defenses focused primarily on Jackson’s legs. He fooled oncoming pass rushers in the backfield, made corners miss in open space, and left linebackers in the dust. On the year, Jackson may have run for 1,206 yards, but he showed a pretty impressive arm, throwing for 3,127 yards and just nine interceptions for the Baltimore Ravens.
Since then, however, Jackson’s numbers have cratered. This past season was a forgettable one for Jackson. He finished his fourth season in the league by throwing for 2,882 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 767 rushing yards. If Jackson doesn’t turn things around this upcoming season, his once-promising career could be taking a turn for the worst.
#1 Marshall Faulk
For a running back, winning a regular-season MVP is extremely difficult. To do so, said back has to be clicking on all cylinders for the entire year. During the 2000 NFL season, simply put, Faulk was the best back in all of football and led his squad on a ridiculous run.
Known as "The Greatest Show on the Turf," Marshall was a key factor in the St. Louis Rams winning it all in 1999. While they weren't as successful in 2000, Faulk was still incredible. The Hall of Fame back locked up his lone MVP award by rushing for 1,359 yards and 18 scores.
Although it's been nearly two decades since he was last seen on the field, Faulk's overall numbers are still holding up just fine. He currently ranks 12th all-time with 12,279 rushing yards and eighth in rushing touchdowns with 100. We expect his records to remain intact for an incredibly long time.