For its cover last year, the Madden franchise took a break from honoring its players to pay tribute to the late John Madden. For Madden NFL 24, fans should expect a return to form, with the best-performing players being the most likely candidates for the cover. For players like Patrick Mahomes, who had yet another great season, but has already been featured on recent covers—Madden 20 and Madden 22—another cover appearance seems unlikely for Madden NFL 24.
Over the last few years, the franchise has typically favored quarterbacks for the standard-edition cover, but Madden NFL 24 could buck the trend. With stellar performances by multiple receivers, the stage could be set for a receiver to take over for the first time since Antonio Brown last held the honor on Madden NFL 19. However, with a few of the best quarterbacks from Madden NFL 23 having absurdly strong seasons, the pattern may continue.
Justin Jefferson
While Justin Jefferson's red-hot year fizzled out toward the end, he still recorded one of the best single-season receiving years of all time. Despite being snubbed from the 99 overall rating club in Madden last year, Jefferson is likely a shoo-in when Madden NFL 24 rolls around. His entry to the 99 overall club may not be the only honor that Jefferson receives, though, as he seems like one of the strongest candidates for next year's cover.
Not only does Jefferson boast unrivaled stats over his wide receiver peers, but he has undeniable star power. During his sophomore season in the NFL, Jefferson's signature celebration dance even made it into Fortnite. With a unique combination of mass appeal and ridiculous stats, few would argue against Jefferson if he made the cover.
Josh Allen
There's no question that Allen has had a strong 2022 season, but he also benefits from the fact that a few of his peers have already made the Madden cover before. With Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes likely out of the running for the cover—since they had a dual feature on the Madden 22 cover—Allen finds himself as one of the top candidates.
Since Allen has not separated from the crowd based on his regular season performance alone, his case for the Madden NFL 24 cover likely hinges on his post-season performance. If he can lead the Bills to their first Super Bowl, it'd be hard to imagine anyone else on the cover.
Joe Burrow
If the Madden NFL 23 cover had not featured John Madden, there's a strong chance it would have been Joe Burrow. Despite a tough Super Bowl loss last year, the Bengals have been an entirely different team with Burrow at the helm. His back-to-back strong seasons make him a no-brainer candidate for the Madden 24 cover.
Much like Allen, Burrow stands out as one of the few options that make sense at the quarterback position. Again, though, his case for the cover may depend entirely on his post-season performance. It may be a head-to-head race against Allen to see which quarterback will win the honor.
Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts rounds out the trifecta of quarterback candidates for the Madden NFL 24 cover. Despite being sidelined by injuries toward the end of the season, it's an understatement to say that Hurts was a major component of the Eagles' success this year. If he was healthy enough to play the entire season, his stats would likely be right up there with Burrow and Allen.
His dual-threat nature not only makes him one of the best players in Madden NFL 23, but it also makes him one of the most exciting players to watch on the field. Since Hurts' resume for the cover hinges so heavily on his team's winning record, the Eagles' post-season performance will determine his likelihood to get the honor.
Tyreek Hill
There's an intangible quality about Tyreek Hill that lets him transcend beyond the football field. With the recent addition of Patrick Mahomes to Fortnite, Tyreek Hill doesn't seem like too much of a far cry for a similar honor—he's even been recently dabbling in the title with streamer Tfue. His off-the-field popularity combined with his absurd stats every Sunday make him an easy choice for the Madden NFL 24 cover. He was one of the highest-rated wide receivers in Madden NFL 23, and nothing will change in Madden NFL 24. He has a tough race against Jefferson for the cover, but an exceptional post-season could get him the nod.
Madden NFL 23 is available for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
