Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes share Madden 22 cover hours after ESPN leak
Tom Brady made history (surprise, surprise!) once again today as he became the first player to grace the Madden cover for the second time.
The Tampa Bay star features on the Madden 22 cover alongside his young rival, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who joins Brady in starring on the cover for a second time.
After intense speculation on social media, EA Sports released the Madden 22 cover at 10 am this morning in New York City.
Two NFL players on Madden 22 cover for only the second time
The Madden 22 cover is only the second cover in the game's history to feature two NFL players.
The first was Madden 10, which featured Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Polamalu and Fitzgerald both starred in the preceding Super Bowl that year.
EA Sports is drinking from that well again by featuring Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, who ran the show in last season's Super Bowl.
In an announcement of two's, Madden 22 is also the first instance of the two cover athletes gracing the cover for the second time. Tom Brady was on the cover of Madden 18, while Patrick Mahomes made the cover two years ago on Madden 20.
EA Sports released a teaser on social media earlier this week showing two goats, which led to many fans leaping to the conclusion that Tom Brady would grace the Madden cover for the second time. While that speculation was bang on the money, Mahomes joining the Tampa Bay star came as somewhat of a surprise.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has only played four seasons in the NFL but has already cemented his status as a game-changer.
ESPN's accidental Madden leak
ESPN has fashioned quite a reputation for itself when it comes to breaking sports news, but it may have jumped the gun on the Madden 22 cover. Last night, ESPN app users saw what looked like the new Madden 22 cover mere hours before it was to be released in New York on Thursday morning (June 17).
As LokiVibes on Reddit and many others discovered, the Madden 22 cover could be seen on ESPN's app last night. The screenshot posted on Reddit showed an ad for encouraging preorders for the game.
Madden 22 release date
Madden 22 will officially be available for purchase on Friday, August 20, 2021.