Barkley lands on Madden 26 cover
Mike Florio and Chris Simms discuss the honor of being featured on the cover of Madden and take a trip down memory lane about all the different years the game has come out.
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Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Christian Bale Transforms Into Unrecognizable Look for John Madden Biopic
Christian Bale looks totally unrecognizable on the set of upcoming John Madden biopic Bale plays the late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis The biopic will chronicle the life and career of former Raiders head coach turned NFL commentator John Madden, who died in 2021 at 85Christian Bale looks unrecognizable on the Atlanta set of Madden. Bale, 51, was seen in a receding hairline wig with bleached eyebrows. He wore a white v-neck shirt paired with a leather jacket, black slacks, and dress shoes. The look was completed with a series of championship rings. The actor plays late Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis in the upcoming Madden biopic, which will chronicle the life of John Madden. Nicholas Cage stars as the legendary NFL coach, who won Super Bowl XI in 1977 for the Raiders and later became a broadcaster. Earlier this week, Cage was similarly seen in an unrecognizable ensemble, complete with a wavy blonde wig and aqua blue tracksuit. "The film follows Madden's remarkable journey—from his Super Bowl-winning partnership with Al Davis and the Raiders, to creating Madden NFL, and becoming one of the most iconic voices in football history," Amazon MGM Studios said of the film when it was announced on May 13. Also joining the cast are John Mulaney as Trip Hawkins, Kathryn Hahn as Virginia Madden, and Sienna Miller as Carol Davis. David O. Russell, who previously directed Bale in The Fighter and American Hustle, is directing the film. Madden served as head coach of the Raiders from 1969 to 1978. He was one of the youngest head coaches in history when the Raiders hired him at 32. His biggest victory came in January 1977, when he led the Raiders to a 32-14 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl XI. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. He went on to work as an expert commentator on NFL telecasts for CBS, Fox, ABC and NBC from 1979 to 2009, and won 16 Sports Emmy Awards. The long-running football video game franchise Madden carries his name. Madden was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006. Madden died in 2021 in his home in Pleasanton, Calif., at 85. Davis was the principal owner of the Raiders from 1972 until his death in 2011 at 82. His widow, Carol Davis, and their son Mark Davis now own the team. Amazon MGM Studios has not announced a release date for Madden yet. Read the original article on People
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Christian Bale shocks fans with ‘next level' transformation for ‘Madden' role
Christian Bale has once again surprised fans with a stunning transformation for a movie role. The 'Dark Knight' actor, 51, was spotted in Atlanta on Wednesday, June 4, while filming the upcoming sports biopic, 'Madden,' with Nicolas Cage and John Mulaney. Sporting long brown hair, gray sideburns and a widow's peak, Bale looked unrecognizable as he portrayed former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis. 10 Christian Bale as former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis. Christopher Oquendo / MEGA The 'American Psycho' star also donned aviator sunglasses, a black leather jacket, black trousers, black dress shoes, and several gold and silver rings in the first look of his character. Bale's appearance as Davis opposite Cage's John Madden was so convincing that many fans of the 'American Hustle' movie star rushed to social media to confirm that it was actually Bale on the Amazon MGM Studios movie set. 'Christian Bale looks unrecognizable,' one person tweeted. 'Christian Bale's transformation for his roles is next level,' another added. 'Bale as Al Davis is gonna kill it,' wrote a third, while a fourth fan commented, 'That's Christian Bale? Totally unrecognizable.' 10 Christian Bale on set the upcoming 'Madden' movie. Christopher Oquendo / MEGA 10 Christian Bale taking a break from filming the sports movie. Christopher Oquendo / MEGA 10 Fans were floored by Christian Bale's transformation. Christopher Oquendo / MEGA The new photos of Bale as Davis come nearly two weeks after Amazon MGM Studios released a first-look photo of the 'Ford v Ferrari' actor and Cage in 'Madden.' In the pic, the two Oscar winners are seen standing in character on a football field while pointing their matching Super Bowl rings at the camera. While Bale looked almost exactly how he appeared on set Wednesday, Cage appeared indistinguishable from the Oakland Raiders coach-turned-famed NFL broadcaster that he will be portraying on screen when the biopic hits theaters. 10 The Oscar winner was hardly recognizable while channeling his character. Christopher Oquendo / MEGA 10 Nic Cage on the set of 'Madden.' Christopher Oquendo/MEGA 10 Nic Cage also transformed his appearance, wearing a fat suit for the role. Christopher Oquendo / MEGA Fans of the 'National Treasure' star, 61, were just as surprised to see Cage portraying Madden as they were to see Bale playing Davis. 'Wow,' one person tweeted after the first picture of Cage as Madden surfaced. 'That's impressive.' 'Incredible transformation!' added another. 'I'm definitely checking this out when it comes out.' 'Man is hard to recognize,' commented a third. 10 First-look at Nicolas Cage as John Madden and Christian Bale as Al Davis. amazonmgmstudios/Instagram 10 Al Davis, then owner of the Oakland Raiders and Hall of Fame Class of 1992, introduces John Madden at the enshrinement ceremony at the Football Hall of Fame on August 5, 2006. UPI 10 Christian Bale's normal appearance is quite different. Getty Images Described as a biographical sports drama film and directed by David O. Russell of 'Silver Linings Playbook' fame, 'Madden' is set to follow its namesake's 'remarkable journey' from NFL coach to broadcasting legend. 'The film follows Madden's remarkable journey – from his Super Bowl-winning partnership with Al Davis and the Raiders, to creating 'Madden NFL,' and becoming one of the most iconic voices in football history,' a synopsis of the flick released by Amazon read. Besides Bale and Cage, the movie is also set to star Mulaney as Electronic Arts founder Trip Hawkins, Kathryn Hahn as Virginia Madden and Sienna Miller as Carol Davis. 'Madden' is set to be released sometime in 2026.
Fox Sports
12 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Who are the top 10 most dominant stars to make the cover of Madden all-time?
Every summer, the Madden cover athlete is revealed and generates an incredible amount of hype. Who will it be? That buzz lasts for most of the summer until the game comes out, and then soon after, actual football is upon us, with the NFL's regular season usually starting very soon after the release of the game. This year, Saquon Barkley was named to the cover— reigning Super Bowl champion and the newest member of the 2,000-yard single-season rushing club. Being picked for the Madden cover is a huge accomplishment. Only the best players make it there, and sometimes, an all-time great player is picked for the cover – think Barry Sanders in 2014. The game's release dates back to the late 1980s and has picked up steam every year since. That is a lot of star power for the game's cover. So, who are the best cover athletes to be picked? With that question in mind, FOX Sports Research compiled a list of the top 10 Madden cover athletes as we head into the 2026 version of the game. Top 10 Madden cover athletes of all-time 10. John Madden (1988-2000, 2023) The only coach on this list and fitting that it's the coach the game is named after. Madden was an elite coach, but also delivered in the broadcast booth and his games helped integrate everyone from young children to older adults into the world of football. He is the person who has been on the cover of the game the most (and rightly so), but his coaching acumen was a big reason why it made sense. The Hall of Famer claimed 10 or more wins in five of his last seven seasons on the sidelines, while also winning his lone Super Bowl with the Raiders in 1976. 9. Brett Favre (2009) The true definition of a gunslinger, Favre was a prolific passer for a staggering 20 seasons in the league (19 as a starter). He won three consecutive league MVP awards from 1995 to 1997 — he's still the only player in league history to win three straight. From a statistical standpoint, he ranks fourth all time in passing yards (71,838) and fourth in passing touchdowns (508), and he's tied for the second-most wins (186). For the postseason, he cracks the top five in passing yards and touchdowns, while being one of only eight quarterbacks ever with 13 wins. He led the Packers to a Super Bowl title in the 1996 season 8. Ray Lewis (2005) A banner year for Lewis, the hard-hitting linebacker claimed his second, and what would prove to be his last, Defensive Player of the Year award in 2003. It was also well deserved, with the thumped collecting six interceptions that year, more than he had in the previous two seasons combined, and racking up 163 tackles, the most he had in four seasons. For his troubles, he also earned MVP votes, finishing sixth in the voting. 7. Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald (2010) Multiple cover athletes! Two legends graced the cover for the 2010 version of the game. This choice, of course, came off the incredible Super Bowl where the Steelers squeaked past the surging Cardinals to claim another Lombardi Trophy. Still, they chose two all-timers for this one. Fitzgerald posted 1,431 receiving yards off his 96 receptions, and led the league with 12 receiving touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, Polamalu had seven interceptions, 17 passes defended and 73 tackles to his credit. It was a bold choice, but befitting the performance for both in Super Bowl XLIII. 6. Marshall Faulk (2003) Faulk earned his place on the cover from his do-it-all abilities and for helping lead one of the best offenses the game has ever seen. His 2001 season, which earned him the cover spot, was his fourth consecutive over 1,300 rushing yards, and it was his third straight year he led the NFL in yards per attempt. Moreover, it was also the third straight season he finished in the top two in MVP voting. He won the honor in 2000, but was runner-up in both 1999 and 2001. In 2001, though, he would settle for Offensive Player of the Year and a selection to the AP All-Pro First-Team 5. Rob Gronkowski (2017) Perhaps the best tight end ever to grace the gridiron, Gronk had the second-most receiving yards in a single season in his career prior to being named the Madden cover star. The burly receiver snagged 72 catches to pair with 1,176 receiving yards, in addition to being an absolute force blocking in the run game. That led him to be named to the Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro, solidifying his standing as a top TE in the game. 4. Calvin Johnson (2013) Johnson's best year actually came the year his game released, with 2012 marking the season he set the single-season receiving yard mark. Despite that, his 2011 was still incredible no matter how you slice it. His 1,681 receiving yards were the most in the league, averaging 105.1 per game. He was also able to find the end zone an average of one time per game, finishing with 16 touchdowns on the year. He would earn a Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro for his troubles. 3. Drew Brees (2011) Brees' career was statistically undeniable. He and Tom Brady are the only two quarterbacks to throw for 80,000 career yards, Brees' 571 touchdown passes are the second-most all-time, and his 172 wins rank fourth. Brees made a whopping 13 Pro Bowls and led the league in passing yards seven times in his 20-year career. In the 2009 season, he led the Saints to their only Super Bowl title — against Peyton Manning's Colts — and was MVP of the game. Brees twice won Offensive Player of the Year. 2. Barry Sanders (2014) An NFL legend makes his way onto the Madden cover. Barry Sanders was, and maybe still is, the most elusive back to ever suit up in the NFL. The Lions legend is remembered by everyone and for good reason. He led the NFL in rushing yards four separate times, averaged over 100 yards per game in four different seasons and finished his career averaging 99.8 yards per game. One of the most fascinating cases as well is how he left the game. Sanders collected the MVP award in his second to last season in the league and powered his way to 1,491 rushing yards in his final season for Detroit. 1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady and Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (2022) It was always going to be the 2022 game, which could, when all is said and done, feature the two greatest QBs of all-time. Moreover, they also met in the Super Bowl for the 2020 season, with the game taking place in 2021. That, of course, was when Tom Brady and the Bucs dismantled Mahomes and the Chiefs 31-9, giving Brady yet another ring for his historic career. Both QBs had their greatness on full display for 2020 though, with Brady tossing 40 TDs and accumulating 4,633 pass yards while Mahomes added 4,740 pass yards and 38 TDs. Honorable mention Michael Vick (2004) Lamar Jackson (2021) Josh Allen (2024) Christian McCaffrey (2025) Saquon Barkley (2026) Check out all of our Daily Rankers . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Football League recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
