Eagles Saquon Barkley Named Madden NFL 26 Cover Athlete

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was announced as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 26, marking the first time an Eagles player has been featured on the cover since Donovan McNabb in Madden NFL 06. Barkley earned this recognition after an historic 2024-25 season in which he set a new NFL single-season rushing record with 2,504 yards including playoffs, led the Eagles to a Super Bowl LIX victory, and won multiple honors such as AP Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Pro. Madden NFL 26 will feature two unique covers showcasing Barkley's iconic reverse hurdle play from last season and will launch on August 14 for platforms including PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. Barkley also joined the Madden NFL 99 Club, becoming the first Eagles offensive player to receive this honor, and is expected to have a 99 overall rating in the game. EA Sports teased new features such as signature quarterback tendencies, unique coaching schemes, and game-changing weather dynamics to enhance realism. This announcement was accompanied by pre-order opportunities including the Deluxe Edition and MVP Bundle, with a full feature reveal scheduled for June 4.