In a move that sent Happy Valley into a frenzy and broke group chats across the Northeast, Madden NFL 26 has officially named Saquon Barkley its cover athlete. The Penn State legend is now immortalized on one of football’s most iconic stages, joining fellow Eagle legends Brian Dawkins and Donovan McNabb in the franchise’s cover art lineage.
Yes, it’s that Saquon. The same one who hurdled Big Ten defenders like a superhero, stiff-armed linebackers into another dimension, and racked up nearly 5,000 total yards in three seasons with the Nittany Lions.
Since then, he’s become one of the NFL’s most electric and, at times, tragic stars. With flashes of brilliance paired with brutal injuries.
But here’s the kicker: it’s the photo.
Instead of a roaring stiff-arm or a muscle-popping sprint, EA hurdled over other shots for one special moment in particular. They picked the photo that was such a perfectly timed shot of where Barkley hurdles Jacksonville Jaguars defender Jarrian Jones backwards.
It’s definitely a bold and eye-popping cover, as some could say it has more to say than other cover photos before it.
Still, for Barkley, this is legacy stuff. A kid from the Bronx, raised in Whitehall, a star in State College, and now the face of football.
Unexpected cover photo? Maybe. Deserved? Absolutely.
And for those worried about the dreaded ‘Madden Cover Curse,’ that was broken a long time ago. Pipe down.