Coming off a remarkable Super Bowl run fueled by a 2,000-yard season and an MVP candidacy, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has added another honor after being named the cover athlete for EA Sports' Madden NFL 26 video game.
Coming off a remarkable Super Bowl run fueled by a 2,000-yard season and an MVP candidacy, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley has added another honor after being named the cover athlete for EA Sports' Madden NFL 26 video game. originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley did it all for the team in his first season, ultimately helping them to their second Super Bowl victory in franchise history. Midway through the offseason, Barkley has added another honor to remember his extraordinary 2024 campaign.
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EA Sports announced Barkley as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 26 Monday morning. And it will not just any simple depiction of the star running back on the video game.
The image released in the announcement shows Barkley executing the fascinating reverse hurdle from the Eagles' Week 9 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
He joins Donovan McNabb as the only Eagles to grace the cover of the game in its over 25 years of history. However, he is the first Eagles offensive player to be named to the Madden NFL '99 Club.'
Barkley followed the announcement with his statement on the honor.
"Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL '99 Club' are both dreams come true," Barkley said. "I'm grateful to my teammates, coaches and Eagles fans for their support, and I can't wait to hit the field again to give Madden players more highlight-reel moments in Madden NFL 26."
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Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards on 345 carries this season for a staggering 5.8 yards per carry. 13 of those touches ended in the end zone for the MVP candidate who finished just 101 yards shy of Eric Dickerson's regular season record.
While Barkley fell short of some deserved recognition with some league-wide praise, there's no question that the blend of his stellar season and shining stardom made him the right selection for the Madden cover this time around.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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