EA Sports has announced Christian McCaffrey, a San Francisco 49ers running back, as the new cover star for the upcoming Madden NFL 25 video game. Despite the club’s illustrious history, which includes five Super Bowl victories in eight appearances, it’s the first time a Niner has adorned the cover of the storied franchise, as the NFL’s reigning Offensive Player of the Year hopes to extend his dominance next season.
“Christian McCaffrey is a human highlight reel on NFL Sundays and our players love his dynamic abilities in Madden NFL, scoring more than 450 million touchdowns with him last year and making him the most popular running back in Madden NFL 24,” said Mike Mahar, Senior Production Director for Madden NFL. “Christian’s electrifying, dynamic and physical play style perfectly represents the gameplay innovations we’re bringing to Madden NFL 25 and made him the ideal fit for this year’s cover.”
McCaffrey and the 49ers were defeated in a dramatic overtime loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, but that doesn’t take away from the superstar back’s incredible season, which included 2,023 scrimmage yards on 339 total touches, 21 total touchdowns, and tying the league record by scoring in 17 consecutive games. “To be on the cover of Madden NFL is a career achievement and an honor I share with all of my teammates, coaches and 49er Faithful who have helped make it possible,” stated McCaffrey in a press release. “I’m pumped to get back on the field this year to give Madden players more reasons to keep scoring touchdowns with me in Madden NFL 25.”
For years, the “Madden Curse” haunted not just the superstars, but also the franchise’s fans. Since players replaced John Madden on the cover of the game, starting in 2001, a good majority of the Madden cover players have either had sub-par seasons or experienced serious injuries. In recent years, however, the fear-factor around the curse has lost some steam as Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have all continued to have success — the former two moreso than the latter.
Fans who preorder Madden NFL 25 will be granted an early three-day period to play the game, 4,600 Madden points and much more. The game’s official release date is August 16.