While we only have a few days left until we know for sure who'll be featured on the cover of this year's issue and we've decided to take on ourselves the task of rolling through a few candidates who could be considered to be worthy of this award. Below are our top three options for an athlete who will be a cover model as well as our top three choices should Madden 22 coins Sports chooses to cover the same pair of athletes, as the teaser indicates.
Three of the previous four Madden NFL cover athletes have been quarterbacks. So it is natural that our top option is one who plays in the middle. Bills quarterback Josh Allen is an ideal selection for the latest edition of the video game franchise, particularly after a season in which he became an MVP-level quarterback. After playing in the AFC Championship, Allen set career records in passing yards and passing touchdowns. Allen had Buffalo just two steps away from an Super Bowl appearance. At this moment in his career Allen is already a star. The Bills Mafia would be thrilled to have Allen's logo and face on the cover of the Super Bowl.
If you're not going go with a quarterback for the cover, I'm not sure how you can overlook Derrick Henry. In fact there was a leak from March that pointed to Henry as the cover athlete. Although it is not clear whether Henry will actually appear on the cover this year, it's certain that he's worthy of it. At times, the big-bodied running back appears as something from video games as the defenders he takes often on a regular basis. Henry was the league's top player in rushing in back-to-back years and surpassed every skill position player in the 2020 season for the longest number of years in a scrimmage (2141). Madden NFL covers are not feasible if you've got 126.7 yards per game.
While some may be offended by the notion of a defensive player finding his way onto the Madden NFL cover, it isn't unprecedented at all. Richard Sherman was the last defensive player to serve as the cover player for the team in Madden NFL 15 and prior to that, we had players like Troy Polamalu (shared with Larry Fitzgerald, Madden NFL 10) and Ray Lewis (Madden NFL 2005) are featured as well. If you're looking to that particular side of the ball as a cover player, there's no one more dominant than Donald who has been a member of the 99 Club for four straight seasons. In this regard the only place you can rise in the game is to finally get on the right side of the ball.
When the teaser trailer was released earlier this week, everyone believed it was the result of a combination. It's not a secret that Tom Brady is considered the most successful quarterback ever (G.O.A.T) and Patrick Mahomes is widely considered to be the next great quarterback. So, it's only natural to not only think there's a possibility -- or a chance that there are two stars on the cover. But when EA Sports trots out an older goat and an infant goat in the teaser, it's impossible not to be thinking of Brady and Mahomes. Both quarterbacks are no stranger to the Madden NFL cover, with Brady appearing on the cover for buy Mut 22 coins 18 and Mahomes following the same pattern a few years after to cover Madden NFL 20.