Eagles Star Saquon Barkley Leaps Onto Madden NFL 26 Cover

By Chris Spiker From Daily Voice

Philadelphia Eagles all-pro running back Saquon Barkley is jumping onto the cover of the NFL's biggest video game.

Barkley was officially named as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 26 on Monday, June 2. The Super Bowl champion rusher will be the second Eagle to grace the cover after quarterback Donovan McNabb was featured on Madden NFL 06.

EA Sports is using a photo of Barkley's jaw-dropping backwards hurdle over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones in Week 9 of the 2024 season. Barkley had 199 total yards and two touchdowns, powering the Eagles to a 28-23 win and earning himself the NFL Offensive Player of the Week award.

Madden has already replicated the iconic jump. EA Sports added the backwards hurdle into Madden NFL 25 shortly after it happened.

The eastern Pennsylvania native was the most dominant part of Philly's offensive attack, winning the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. While he was somewhat quiet by his high standards in the Super Bowl LIX victory, Barkley ran for 2,504 yards and scored 20 total touchdowns in the regular season and playoffs.

Before wearing green, Barkley played six seasons for the NFL East rival New York Giants. Despite tearing his ACL in the 2020 season, he stacked up 5,325 rushing yards and 49 total touchdowns for the G-Men.

Barkley was drafted by New York with the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In college, he starred at Penn State, winning a Big Ten title and Fiesta Bowl with the Nittany Lions.

The Eagles celebrated Barkley's cover honor and 99 overall rating in the game with a special "99" chain necklace.

"I'm a fan of the game," Barkley said about joining the "99 Club" in an Instagram video. "I played the game. I've been making myself 99 since I can remember. To actually have it means a lot."

Eagles fans were excited to see Barkley honored with the Madden cover.

"Toughest cover of ALL-TIME🔥😮‍💨," one Instagram commenter wrote.

"The most predictable Madden cover ever," another person commented.

Some Philly fans weren't as happy, saying they're worried about the "Madden curse" of some players underperforming or suffering injuries after they're featured on the cover.

"Alright so I'm NOT drafting Saquon in fantasy this year," one commenter said.

"Damn! Welp on to next season 😢," another person replied. "@philadelphiaeagles this wasn't a good idea. History shows this has never been a good thing."

San Francisco 49ers star RB Christian McCaffrey appears to be the latest "curse" victim. The three-time all-pro was on the Madden NFL 25 cover but only played in four games in 2024 due to several leg injuries.

Whether or not it's real, the "Madden curse" doesn't seem to be a career-ender.

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen was named NFL MVP in 2024, two years after EA Sports featured him. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has won two Super Bowls since he was first put on the cover of Madden NFL 20.

Madden NFL 26 will be released on Thursday, August 14, and pre-ordering has already begun.