Latest news with #99Club
Newsweek
a day ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Saquon Barkley joins Brian Dawkins and David Akers in Madden's '99 club'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will be the cover athlete for the latest installment in the Madden franchise. Along with gracing the front of this year's game, he's also received another prestigious honor. Throughout the history of Madden, being given a 99 overall is a notable feat that only a handful of players can say they've received. Coming off the best year of his NFL career, Barkley has now broken through this threshold. Amid the cover announcement, the people from Madden also gifted him a customized necklace to welcome him to the "99 Club." With this achievement, Barkley joins an exclusive group of players in Eagles history. He is now the third player to be given a 99 overall. The first Eagle to reach this mark was Brian Dawkins in 2004. Two years later, kicker David Akers also joined the "99 Club." Prior to Barkley, Lane Johnson was the most recent Eagles player to come close, reaching a 98 overall in 2024. After failing to come to an agreement on a new contract with the New York Giants, Barkley opted to depart from the team that drafted him to join the Eagles. This move yielded huge dividends, as his presence helped get the title contenders over the hump. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with teammates on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome... NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 09: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with teammates on the sideline in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Caesars Superdome on February 09, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. MoreIn his first season with Philly, Barkley came just shy of history by rushing for 2,005 yards in the regular season. He did so in just 16 games, as the team opted to sit him in Week 17 in preparation for the playoffs. Not only were Barkley's rushing yards a career-high, but he also posted his highest yards from scrimmage for a season (2,283). Having a strong backfield threat in Barkley gave the Eagles' offense a dynamic it hasn't had in some time, and made them much harder to contain week-to-week. Led by the star back's historic season, Philly carried this momentum all the way to their second Super Bowl win in franchise history. Landing the cover and a 99 overall are well-deserved honors for Barkley, but now the Eagles star has a tough challenge ahead. Many view landing on the front of the game as a curse due to multiple players falling off afterward. Seeing that the Eagles are poised to remain in the title hunt this season, they'll need Barkley to continue playing at a high level. Barkley set the bar high last year with a dominant first season with the Eagles. Replicating his 2024 campaign is a tall task, but with most of the team's core returning, all the pieces are in place for him to once again be a focal point of the offense.
UPI
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Phila. Eagles running back Saquon Barkley named 'Madden' cover star
June 2 (UPI) -- Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and his iconic reverse leap from the 2024-25 season will be featured on the cover of Madden NFL 26, Electronic Arts announced Monday. Barkley also was introduced as the first member of the Madden NFL 26 99 Club, which highlights players who get the highest ratings in the game. "Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL '99 Club' are both dreams come true," Barkley said in a news release. "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." Madden NFL 26 will launch worldwide Aug 15 on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. New features on the game will be unveiled Wednesday. Barkley totaled an NFL record 2,504 rushing yards between the regular season and postseason to become the first Eagles player to earn a Madden cover since Donovan McNabb (Madden NFL 06). Barkley's 2,005 regular-season rushing yards were the eighth most in NFL history and set an Eagles franchise record. Barkley, who was a healthy scratch for the playoff-bound Eagles' regular-season finale, finished just 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record. His reverse hurdle, which he performed during a Nov. 3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, is featured on the cover of the standard edition of Madden NFL 26. The deluxe edition features another photo of Barkley glaring at a camera. "Saquon's reverse hurdle was one of the rare, defining moments in NFL history that would have once been described as 'something out of a video game,'" EA Sports Madden NFL vice president of strategy and marketing Evan Dexter said. "Now, it's a display of the athleticism and creativity of one football's most electrifying athletes. Madden NFL 26 will deliver the most real NFL experience we've ever built so that players can experience more of the unreal moments that Saquon put on display all season long. The full reveal is this Wednesday -- don't miss what's next."
Fox News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley's reverse hurdle to grace cover of 'Madden NFL 26'
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley's reverse hurdle over Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jarrian Jones was widely viewed as the top play of the 2024 NFL season. Now, the play will be commemorated in arguably the biggest way possible. Barkley was named the cover athlete for "Madden NFL 26" by EA Sports on Monday. The cover of the game features Barkley recreating that memorable hurdle. He was also named to the Madden 99 Club, becoming the first Eagles offensive player to earn a 99 overall rating in the video game. "Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL '99 Club' are both dreams come true," Barkley said in an EA Sports press release. "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." Barkley's first season with the Eagles was one for the ages. He won Offensive Player of the Year as he led the league in rushing, going for 2,005 yards. He fell 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson's longstanding regular-season record, missing the chance to break it by sitting in the Eagles' regular-season finale. He also rushed for 13 touchdowns, adding 33 receptions for 278 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season. While Barkley didn't break the rushing record in the regular season, he broke the total rushing record in the postseason. He ran for 499 yards in Philadelphia's four playoff games, helping it win its second Super Bowl. Barkley's 2,504 total rushing yards for the season broke the record Pro Football Hall of Famer set in 1998 (2,476 yards). "Saquon's reverse hurdle was one of the rare, defining moments in NFL history that would have once been described as 'something out of a videogame,'" "Madden NFL" VP, Franchise Strategy & Marketing Evan Dexter said in a news release. "Now, it's a display of the athleticism and creativity of one football's most electrifying athletes. Madden NFL 26 will deliver the most real NFL experience we've ever built so that players can experience more of the unreal moments that Saquon put on display all season long." Barkley will become the second player in Eagles history to be featured on the cover of "Madden NFL." Longtime Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was on the cover of "Madden NFL 06." A full reveal of the game will be made on Wednesday. The game will be released on Aug. 14, with fans being able to pre-order it for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on Tuesday. Fans can also pre-order the game via EA Sports' MVP Bundle, which allows access to the deluxe versions of "Madden NFL 26" and "College Football 26." Users can play both games three days early through the MVP Bundle. 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!
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WATCH: Saquon Barkley reacts to joining the coveted '99 Club' in 'Madden NFL 26'
Saquon Barkley continues to rack up the post-Super Bowl honors, and the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year landed the Madden NFL 26 cover, along with the coveted '99 Club rating to go with it. Barkley is the first Eagles player to grace a Madden cover since Donovan McNabb for Madden NFL 06. He also earned a spot as the first member of the franchise's history to earn the coveted Madden NFL 26 99 Club. What is the "99 Club" in Madden NFL The "99 Club" in Madden NFL is an exclusive group of players who have achieved the highest possible overall rating of 99 in the game. It's a highly prestigious honor, signifying that these players are the best in the NFL, almost flawless at their positions in the game. Madden has previously assigned 100 overall ratings in older versions, but for many years now, 99 has been the maximum and the standard. EA Sports, the creators of Madden, use a combination of real-life performance metrics, statistical analysis, and expert scouting to determine which players earn this elite status each year. Players who make the 99 Club are often celebrated by EA Sports with special announcements, sometimes even receiving a physical "99 Club" chain. This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles RB joins the coveted '99 Club' in Madden NFL 26
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
WATCH: Saquon Barkley reacts to joining the coveted '99 Club' in 'Madden NFL 26'
WATCH: Saquon Barkley reacts to joining the coveted '99 Club' in 'Madden NFL 26' Saquon Barkley continues to rack up the post-Super Bowl honors, and the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year landed the Madden NFL 26 cover, along with the coveted '99 Club rating to go with it. Saquon Barkley continues to rack up the post-Super Bowl honors, and the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year landed the Madden NFL 26 cover, along with the coveted '99 Club rating to go with it. Barkley is the first Eagles player to grace a Madden cover since Donovan McNabb for Madden NFL 06. He also earned a spot as the first member of the franchise's history to earn the coveted Madden NFL 26 99 Club. What is the "99 Club" in Madden NFL The "99 Club" in Madden NFL is an exclusive group of players who have achieved the highest possible overall rating of 99 in the game. It's a highly prestigious honor, signifying that these players are the best in the NFL, almost flawless at their positions in the game. Madden has previously assigned 100 overall ratings in older versions, but for many years now, 99 has been the maximum and the standard. EA Sports, the creators of Madden, use a combination of real-life performance metrics, statistical analysis, and expert scouting to determine which players earn this elite status each year. Players who make the 99 Club are often celebrated by EA Sports with special announcements, sometimes even receiving a physical "99 Club" chain.
