3 NFL superstars who deserve the Madden 25 cover, 2 who do not

It is a dang vidya game, but some things are very important. One of the best parts about the Madden franchise is it serves as a time capsule of sorts to remember who the stars of the NFL were at any given moment. Since athletes have been on the cover of the popular EA Sports franchise, it has been both a blessing, and very much a curse. Yes, you want to be on it, but you also don't want to get hurt...

With Madden 25 revealing its cover athlete on Tuesday, June 11, we can only speculate who might be the athlete tasked with pushing this video game to the masses now. With there being a ton of orange in the promotional video, many fans are speculating that it might be Cincinnati Bengals star quarterback Joe Burrow. He is an amazing player, but got hurt for the second time in four seasons.

So what I am going to do today is outline three players I think are incredibly deserving of being on the cover of Madden 25, as well as two who might be better suited in a year or so. Again, precedent has made this a very importnat endeavor. It is about advertising for a player in the game who is going to be so much fun to play with, as well as him being on a team that should be better than most in it.

If you needed help getting ready to get ready, be sure to watch this trailer for the cover reveal.

Let's start with one of the most electrifying and versatile running backs in the NFL game today.

San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey deserves to be on the cover

Christian McCaffrey checks all the boxes for what a video game franchise like Madden could want for a cover athlete. He is a star athlete on one of the best teams in football, he is incredibly marketable and should be one of the most fun players to play with in this game. The fact that he can do it all from the running back position makes him an easy sell. Plus, he plays for the San Francisco 49ers. That helps.

McCaffrey has never been on the cover of Madden before. He plays for one of the handful of teams who can realistically win the Super Bowl. The fact he is pushing 30 probably suggests that either this year or next are probably his last chances of being on the cover. If I was in charge of picking out a cover athlete for this year's game, he would be my pick for it. Of course, that is not up to me at all.

Honestly, going with any 49ers star would probably work, although people would hate Brock Purdy.

Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow does not deserve to be on the cover

I am sure I will be able to go to sleep at night if Joe Burrow ends up being the cover athlete. He is one of my favorite players in the game today. When healthy, he is an otherworldly talent. The only problem is that he has suffered a pair of season-ending injuries in two of his last four seasons. That sounds an awful lot like the best player on my favorite baseball team, so I am just going to leave it at that for y'all.

Could the Cincinnati Bengals be one of the best teams in football next year? Potentially, but I feel that their Super Bowl window is closing and they might be running out of time. While I do expect Burrow to be on the cover of Madden one day, the 2025 edition does not feel like the right installment to feature The Geauxt. Let's put him on there after he wins his first two NFL MVPs. Yeah, that is ideal.

I would not fall to pieces if Burrow ended up getting it, but I am certain others may not be in favor of it.

Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson deserves to be on the cover

This has been the offseason for Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson. He is arguably the best wide receiver in the game today, or is at the very least paid like it. While I could be in favor of having his Bayou Bengal teammates Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase do a dual-cover on behalf of Cincinnati, Jefferson needs to ride solo on this one. This is because the Vikings will only be decent.

I expect that Jefferson will have one of the highest ratings in the game at any position. While he may not have the best quarterback throwing him the ball this year, whether that is Sam Darnold for now or a potential up-and-coming star in J.J. McCarthy, Jefferson is a difference-maker in the receiving corps. He is well on his way towards being a hall-of-fame player. I do have one holdback for him...

Unlike Christian McCaffrey, this will not be Jefferson's last best chance over ever being on the cover.

Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud does not deserve to be on the cover

For as bullish as I am on C.J. Stroud's NFL future as the franchise quarterback of the Houston Texans, we may need to see more than one year out of him before he is a cover athlete. Stroud was drafted No. 2 overall out of Ohio State to be a superstar. He has already exceeded many of our expectations. I tabbed him to be the next Derek Carr, and I really liked what Derek Carr was during his peak NFL days.

Truth be told, Stroud will probably be a candidate for the cover as early as next year. We need to see the Texans go on a deep playoff run for him to get his shine. This is not a big NFL brand. If he were to take the Texans further in the AFC playoffs than any quarterback before him, that might be enough to merit him being the frontrunner to be on the cover of Madden 26 next year. Stroud needs more time.

While I wouldn't be mad if Stroud was on this year's cover, he does not need a sophomore slump.

Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff deserves to be on the cover

A sneaky-good candidate to be on the cover of Madden 25 would have to be Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Outside of the NFC North, the Lions are universally beloved by NFL fans across the sport. They are coming off their best season in the Super Bowl era. They are a serious contender to win it all in 2024. Given that Goff is a former No. 1 overall pick, I think he is a great fit.

While Goff may not be the most fun quarterback to play with, the Lions will be one of the better teams in the game. We are talking about a quarterback who has already played in a Super Bowl, but is really thriving now on his second team. His career arc is fascinating and one of great redemption. For people in need of a new hero and a guy who never gives up, I see Goff as a tremendous role model.

EA Sports may go with Aidan Hutchinson or Amon-Ra St. Brown over him, but I like Goff quite a bit.