Latest news with #MaddenNFL26
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Eagles Have One Question After Saquon Barkley Named Madden Cover Player
Eagles Have One Question After Saquon Barkley Named Madden Cover Player originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Throughout the 2024 regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles had one of the most explosive offenses, finishing the year ranked seventh in points per game (27.2) and eighth in total yards per game (367.2). Advertisement Of course, football is a team sport, but there's no doubt that much of their success was because of running back Saquon Barkley, who was eventually named the Offensive Player of the Year and finished third in MVP voting. After helping his team win the Super Bowl, his performance on the field was impossible to ignore and on Monday, EA Sports revealed that Barkley was named the cover athlete for Madden NFL 26, set to release on Aug. 14. The big announcement eventually drew a reaction from the Eagles, who asked, "Who else but @saquon?" via a social media post. It's a valid question, and after finishing the regular season with 2,005 rushing yards, 13 touchdowns and 33 receptions for two touchdowns, it would be hard to find a good answer. Advertisement Of course, those impressive numbers also led him to earn a two-year, $41.2 million extension with the Eagles, which makes him the highest-paid running back in NFL history in yearly salary ($20.6 million), per Spotrac. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Hartline-Imagn Images This is also the second straight year that a running back has been featured as the video game's cover athlete, as San Francisco 49ers' Christian McCaffrey earned the honors for Madden NFL 25. Now, it will remain to be seen if Barkley and the Eagles can continue being dominant and live up to the hype in 2025, as ESPN BET ties them as the Kansas City Chiefs for the best odds (+600) to win the Super Bowl. Advertisement Related: Texans React to Big DeMeco Ryans Announcement on Thursday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- General
- USA Today
Sights and sounds from Day 5 of Philadelphia Eagles OTAs
Sights and sounds from Day 5 of Philadelphia Eagles OTAs Philadelphia returned to the NovaCare Complex field for Day 5 of OTAs and we're looking sights and sounds with the Eagles one week away from mandatory minicamp After celebrating Saquon Barkley's 'Madden NFL 26' cover, the Eagles returned to the NovaCare Complex practice field for session five of OTAs. The media in attendance is on high alert, as Vic Fangio hinted at Cooper DeJean being a jack of all trades, and Jihaad Campbell not taking the practice field until August at the earliest. Philadelphia will have one more voluntary session on Thursday afternoon, before a Mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday, June 10. With practice underway, we're looking at sights and sounds from Tuesday's session.
Fox Sports
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox Sports
Saquon Barkley willing to tempt fate on Madden cover, doesn't believe in curse
There was nothing that could stop Saquon Barkley in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles. Now, some might argue that he's tempting fate as he enters Year Two in Philadelphia. Barkley was announced as the cover athlete for "Madden NFL 26" on Monday, with his memorable reverse hurdle play being used for the cover. While many view being on the cover of Madden as an honor, the longstanding "Madden curse" has lingered over star players' decisions whether to appear on the cover of the hit EA Sports game. For Barkley, though, the curse wasn't a consideration when he was asked to appear on the Madden cover. "Nah, I'm a believer in God," Barkley said on "The Insiders" when asked if he believed in the Madden curse. "That's my mindset, to be completely honest." A curse might have been the only way to stop Barkley in 2024. The Eagles' running back rushed for 2,005 yards on 5.8 yards per carry and 13 touchdowns during the regular season, falling 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson's regular-season record for most rushing yards. He also added 33 receptions for 278 yards and two touchdowns to help him win Offensive Player of the Year. In the postseason, Barkley continued to run at a high level. He rushed for 499 yards on 5.5 yards per carry and five touchdowns over four postseason games, playing a major role in Philadelphia's run to a Super Bowl title. His 2,504 total rushing yards are the most ever in an NFL season (regular season and playoffs combined). But prior to joining the Eagles in 2024, Barkley was often slowed down due to injury during his six-year stint with the New York Giants. That's why he doesn't believe he's tempting fate by appearing on the Madden cover. "I've had injuries before. I tore my knee, I stepped on a foot and rolled my ankle and was out four-to-six weeks. There was no curse then," Barkley said. "That's just how life works. You're gonna have your ups and downs, but my mindset is coming in, work, do what I need to do, and the rest is in God's hands." The Madden curse has seemingly been a thing since before the turn of the century. After being named to the cover of "Madden NFL 2000," Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders suddenly retired before the start of the 1999 season. Since then, there have been several instances in which star players have either gotten hurt or played below expectations in the year they appeared on the cover of Madden. Just last year, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey missed 13 games due to multiple injuries after appearing on the cover of "Madden NFL 25." [Related: Madden cover curse: Curse returns with vengeance on Christian McCaffrey] As Barkley is the second Eagles player to appear on the cover of Madden, it could be argued that the curse struck in the only other time a player from the franchise appeared on the cover of the game. Former quarterback Donovan McNabb missed eight games in the 2005 season after being named to the cover of "Madden NFL 06." He also had a public feud with teammate Terrell Owens that year as Philadelphia's four-year streak of reaching the NFC Championship Game also ended, with the Eagles going 6-10. Before last season, though, there was a good run of players having a strong year after appearing on the Madden cover. Tom Brady ("Madden NFL 18," "Madden NFL 22") and Patrick Mahomes ("Madden NFL 20," "Madden NFL 22") avoided the curse twice, with the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback actually winning the Super Bowl in one of those years. Josh Allen ("Madden NFL 24") and Lamar Jackson ("Madden NFL 21") also had strong seasons after appearing on the cover of Madden. But players who've appeared on the cover of Madden have had a tough time helping their team win the Super Bowl that same season. It's only happened twice, with the New England Patriots winning Super Bowl LI after Rob Gronkowski appeared on the cover of "Madden NFL 17" that year (although Gronkowski suffered a season-ending injury earlier that year). Barkley is hoping to become the third player to join that list. He knows that winning a Super Bowl is tough and going back-to-back is even tougher, but he believes the Eagles learned last year the formula to winning the Lombardi Trophy. "The best way I can answer that question is success is not an accident. We know the recipe. We know what it takes," Barkley said. "We can't skip any steps to get to where we want to get to. Last OTAs, it was the same thing, and we already know how training camp's gonna be and we know how it's gonna be during the season. "We know the recipe, and we just got to stick to it and a little bit of luck when that comes in with staying healthy. We do that, with the talent that we have and the coaches that we have, we'll be in a good position." 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! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Express Tribune
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
NFL Madden 26 Cover: Saquon Barkley lands cover with 99 rating, the internet has its say
EA Sports has named Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley the cover athlete for Madden NFL 26, honouring a landmark season that included a Super Bowl title, 2,005 rushing yards and a viral moment that seemed lifted straight from the video game itself. Barkley, 28, is only the ninth player in NFL history to surpass the 2,000-yard mark in a single season. He also became the newest member of the elite 'Madden 99 Club,' the game's highest rating tier, and the latest player to front the iconic franchise. The cover reveal was accompanied by a now-iconic image: Barkley mid-air, performing a reverse hurdle over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones during a Week 9 clash. The move—executed while Barkley had his back turned to the defender—was widely circulated online and lauded as one of the season's most jaw-dropping plays. '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,'' said Evan Dexter, vice president of franchise strategy and marketing for EA Sports Madden NFL. In a promotional video released with the announcement, Barkley reflected on the journey from gamer to cover athlete. 'This last season's been everything,' he said. 'Win the Super Bowl, create iconic moments. It starts with imagination — being a kid, having those moments, playing video games and saying, 'Why can't I do it in real life?'' The former New York Giants star credited his new team's culture for fuelling his breakout campaign. Barkley was a key contributor in the Eagles' title run and tallied 15 total touchdowns over the course of the season. EA Sports stated the upcoming edition of Madden NFL would offer its most realistic simulation yet. 'It's a display of the athleticism and creativity of one of football's most electrifying athletes,' Dexter said. The game is set to release on 14 August 2025, with pre-orders now open. '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.' For Philadelphia fans, all that remains now is to hope the fabled 'Madden Curse' doesn't strike. NFL fans on X (formerly Twitter) have been reacting to the news, with many naming alternatives they believe should've become cover athlete instead. I wish he wasn't on it bc I believe in the curse but it was too perfect. 26 on 26 — 🦅 RUN IT BACK🦅 (LIX Champs💍💍) (@RollPhillyDawgz) June 2, 2025 How does he deserve it over Lamar — bossman (@thyonlybossman) June 2, 2025 Congrats to Saquon in advance to being the first Eagles player to break the Madden curse!!! — 🔥 CEO Branding Expert (@Ceo_Branding) June 2, 2025 Who's the poor soul he's hurdling — VGhostface Killa 🐝 (@VGKBetta) June 2, 2025 Shoulda been my guy CJ Stroud smh — Duv-ALL Sports Cards & Collectible's (@DuvALLsports) June 2, 2025
Hindustan Times
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
What is the ‘Madden curse'? Eagles star Saquon Barkley says he's not worried: ‘I'm a believer in God'
When Saquon Barkley pulled off his now-iconic reverse hurdle last season, it was the kind of play that makes history. Now, that has landed the Philadelphia Eagles running back on the cover of Madden NFL 26. But with that honour comes a looming question that's haunted NFL fans for years: Will the 'Madden curse' strike again? For Barkley, the answer is simple, he's not sweating it. ALSO READ| Atlanta Falcons to trade Kyle Pitts? NFL insiders spill secrets amid rumours 'Nah, I'm a believer in God. That's my mindset to be completely honest,' Barkley said on NFL Network's The Insiders, when asked if he feared the infamous curse. 'I've had injuries before. I tore my knee. I stepped on a foot and rolled my ankle, was out for four to six weeks, and there was no curse then. That's just how life works. You're going to have your ups and downs. But my mindset [coming in] is work, do what I need to do, and the rest is in God's hands.' Along with landing the Madden cover, Eagles' running back has also been named to the prestigious 'Madden 99 Club,' becoming the first Eagles offensive player to receive the honour. 'Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL '99 Club' are both dreams come true,' he 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.' ALSO READ| Peyton Manning shares key Bill Belichick update that might disappoint fans The so-called 'Madden curse' refers to the superstition that players featured on the cover often suffer injuries or underperform the following season. Just last year, San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey fell victim after a monster season, managing only four games in 2024-25 due to Achilles issues. However, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Tom Brady, and Josh Allen all had respectable seasons post-cover, even if they didn't escape criticism.
