Highlights

  • Christian McCaffrey will be on the cover of Madden NFL 25, joining elite players like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.
  • McCaffrey is a top NFL rusher, with a career-high 1,459 rushing yards during the 2023 regular season and an additional 268 yards in the playoffs.
  • Players who preorder the deluxe edition will be granted three days of early access to Madden NFL 25 , starting on August 13.

After weeks of anticipation, the cover athlete of Madden NFL 25 was revealed by EA Sports and the NFL as Christian McCaffrey, the star running back of the San Francisco 49ers. McCaffrey became the sixth running back to be featured as the poster athlete of the Madden NFL franchise, and the first since 2013, when both Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson were featured.

In addition to being the latest Madden NFL cover athlete, McCaffrey is one of the NFL's top rushers heading into the 2024 season. McCaffrey had a career-high 1,459 rushing yards during the 2023 regular season and an additional 268 yards in the playoffs. In Super Bowl 58 against the Kansas City Chiefs, McCaffrey gained 80 yards and caught a 21-yard touchdown pass on a trick play from wide receiver Jauan Jennings. Though the 49ers lost the Super Bowl, 25-22 in overtime, McCaffrey was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. On June 4, McCaffrey signed an extension through the 2027 season to remain the highest-paid running back in the league.

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Following weeks of rumors about Madden NFL 25, EA Sports revealed that McCaffrey would be the game's cover athlete across all editions. In addition to the cover athlete reveal, EA Sports confirmed that the standard and deluxe editions of Madden NFL 25 would be released on August 16, with the respective price tags of $69.99 and $99.99. Players who preorder the deluxe edition will be granted three days of early access to Madden NFL 25, starting on August 13. The cover art for both editions differed, as the standard edition showed the 49ers running back celebrating after a big play. On the deluxe edition of Madden NFL 25, McCaffrey faced the camera as defenders from the Las Vegas Raiders attempted to take him down.

49ers Running Back Christian McCaffrey Is the Madden NFL 25 Cover Athlete

However, EA Sports also showed that Madden NFL 25 would have a bundle with another football title in their 2024 lineup. The MVP Bundle includes the deluxe editions of Madden NFL 25and EA Sports College Football 25, the first game in the series after a decade-long hiatus. The MVP Bundle will retail for $149.99, a $50 discount from what each deluxe edition would individually cost.

McCaffrey joins a roster of Madden NFL cover athletes with notable careers, such as Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. While the "Madden Curse" has become less relevant than in years past, only time will tell if McCaffrey's 2024 NFL season performance will be impacted by it.