Ranking 22 "Madden NFL" Covers In Honor Of The Madden 22 Reveal

    Including the Madden 22 cover featuring Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

    Jeremy Hayes
    by Jeremy Hayes

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Over the years, the Madden cover announcement has been looked at as everything from an honor to a curse.

    Convention unveiling Madden 11 cover
    Michal Czerwonka / Getty Images

    Check out this year's reveal for Madden NFL 22:

    ESPN @espn

    Brady. Mahomes. 🐐🐐 The @EAMaddenNFL cover is here! 🔥 #Madden22

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    ESPN

    With the latest release now public, here's a ranking of the best covers since Eddie George debuted as the first athlete to grace the cover in 2000:

    22. Madden NFL 22 (Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes)

    Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes sitting on a bench
    EA Sports

    Meh. Not a fan at all of rerun athletes. Two of the best QBs sitting on a bench. *sarcastic cheer* (Mind you, this is the "MVP Edition," so please, EA Sports, have them doing something football-related on the cover.)

    The NFL is full of talent, but just to name a few alternatives to Brady and Mahomes: Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Donald, Russell Wilson, Josh Allen, Stephon Gilmore, DeAndre Hopkins, Michael Thomas, Christian McCaffrey, Travis Kelce, Derrick Henry, Davante Adams...hell, why not elite offensive guard Quenton Nelson?

    The cover used to mean something to players and fans. A way to build up upcoming stars or veterans who have earned it. Now it feels like a celebrity pick-em' game to attract non-football fans.

    21. Madden NFL 25: 1989–2014 (Barry Sanders)

    Barry Sanders in a Detroit Lions uniform and carrying a football
    EA Sports

    I strongly dislike not having a modern player on the cover. These games are meant to be a time stamp of that year, and no disrespect to Barry Sanders, but this should have been saved for an alternative cover.

    Plus, Madden 25 is coming out in three years...so what the heck, EA Sports?

    20. Madden NFL 18 (Tom Brady)

    Tom Brady in New England Patriots jersey
    EA Sports

    This is the definition of "petty," but I hate that this broke the streak of football players wearing football helmets. It's a big part of the game, and, you know, to play football, you need a helmet.

    He's just standing there...menacingly! I'm a Patriots fan, but it just felt very "look at me" instead of "let's play some football!"

    This is the "G.O.A.T. Edition" from the same year, and look how much better it looks:

    Tom Brady screaming in a New England Patriots uniform
    EA Sports

    He's doing his signature "LET'S GO!" that he does every pregame.

    This should have been the standard cover instead of making gamers dish out some more cash.

    19. Madden NFL 21 (Lamar Jackson)

    Lamar Jackson in a Baltimore Ravens uniform holding a football
    EA Sports

    There is such thing as "too experimental." The image of Lamar Jackson would have been fine — no need for all the clippings around him to make it look like a weird photo album.

    18. Madden NFL 20 (Patrick Mahomes)

    Patrick Mahomes in a Kansas City Chiefs uniform
    EA Sports

    Again with the helmetless, not playing football pose.

    Patrick Mahomes...the man that made a no-look throw during a regular season game! Wouldn't it make sense to have that on the cover or him doing something cool as a quarterback?

    17. Madden NFL 19 (Antonio Brown)

    Antonio Brown yelling in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform
    EA Sports

    Love the joy from A.B. and the background color, but still, give this man a football and have him do something...you know...football-y.

    16. Madden NFL 07 (Shaun Alexander)

    Shaun Alexander in a Seattle Seahawks uniform running with a football
    EA Sports

    A well-deserved cover spot from Shaun Alexander, but Madden covers have a problem with being too artsy or too plain. This is a little too plain.

    15. Madden NFL 2002 (Dante Culpepper)

    Dante Culpepper in a Minnesota Vikings uniform throwing a football
    EA Sports

    The first quarterback to grace the Madden cover. Proof that a photo shoot is necessary for a flawless cover, but I still think this is a solid cover.

    14. Madden NFL 2005 (Ray Lewis)

    Ray Lewis in a Baltimore Ravens uniform
    EA Sports

    The more I look at it, the more I like it. Ray Lewis looks as intense as he was on the field, like it is a photo pulled from actual in-game footage (most likely it was).

    13. Madden NFL 08 (Vince Young)

    Vince Young in a Tennessee Titans jersey running with the football
    EA Sports

    I think this one suffers from an all-white background, when they should have gone the route of the Madden 19 cover with Antonio Brown and a yellow backdrop. Young's backdrop could have been red or silver...one of his team colors.

    12. Madden NFL 13 (Calvin Johnson)

    Calvin Johnson in a Detroit Lions uniform with his hands raised to catch a football
    EA Sports

    This should be higher on the list, but there are so many good covers. Calvin Johnson was also a very well-deserved cover star, and this photo is almost perfect.

    11. Madden NFL 2001 (Eddie George)

    Eddie George in a Tennessee Titans uniform running with a football and stiff arming
    EA Sports

    The O.G. athlete: Eddie George. Not a ton going on with this cover, but it is still a historic classic.

    10. Madden NFL 2003 (Marshall Faulk)

    Marshall Faulk in a St. Louis Rams uniform while running with a football
    EA Sports

    I remember flipping on the Gameboy Advanced and listening to "Party Hard" on the loading screen. Classic cover and my favorite of the O.G. covers.

    9. Madden NFL 15 (Richard Sherman)

    Richard Sherman in a Seattle Seahawks uniform raising a gloved-hand
    EA Sports

    How they missed the chance to have the first corner back on the cover of Madden to simply waving his arms out to signify "no catch" is beyond me.

    8. Madden NFL 16 (Odell Beckham Jr.)

    Odell Beckham Jr. catching a football with one hand in a New York Giants uniform
    EA Sports

    A great action pose, but it would have been better having him lean back to catch it like his famous Sunday Night Football moment. That way his face could be closer and more visible in the photo, too.

    7. Madden NFL 09 (Brett Favre)

    Brett Favre with a football in a Green Bay Packers uniform
    EA Sports

    Brett Favre on the cover and a 20th anniversary emblem in the corner. Was that so hard, Madden 25: 1989–2014?

    6. Madden NFL 12 (Peyton Hillis)

    Peyton Hillis running with a football in a Cleveland Browns uniform
    EA Sports

    One-hit wonder, but no one can ever take this cover away from him. I even like the lettering of the word "Madden."

    5. Madden NFL 11 (Drew Brees)

    Drew Brees throwing a football in a New Orleans Saints uniform
    EA Sports

    Love the art work and having the Superdome on the cover. Nothing tops the paint splatter.

    4. Madden NFL 06 (Donovan McNabb)

    Donovan McNabb throwing a football in a Philadelphia Eagles uniform
    EA Sports

    Simple but effective. My argument for the plainness of these covers compared to newer covers is that the colors of the uniform really pop. We get a good look at McNabb's face, uniform, and him throwing a football.

    3. Madden NFL 2004 (Michael Vick)

    Michael Vick running with football in an Atlanta Falcons uniform
    EA Sports

    There is no more iconic figure in Madden history than Michael Vick. This cover is fantastic and maybe one of the most recognizable in sports gaming.

    2. Madden NFL 17 (Rob Gronkowski)

    Rob Gronkowski spiking football in New England Patriots uniform
    EA Sports

    The Gronk Spike! This is the best solo Madden cover in my opinion. A fine example how you can have your stars being iconic on the cover without just standing there and actually doing something they are known for.

    1. Madden NFL 10 (Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu)

    Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald face-off on Madden cover
    EA Sports

    The best of the best. It was gutsy to feature two players, and absolutely genius to have them be opponents on opposite sides of the ball. Add that with the cool paint effect, and you have one sick cover.

    Plus, both men are two future Hall-of-Famers, so what's not to love?

    Which is your favorite cover? Comment below!