Following rumors and anticipations, we can now confirm: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is officially set to grace the cover of Madden NFL 24. After our article last week on OGPN discussing the possibility, EA confirmed our prediction earlier today.
Since joining the NFL, Allen has charted a meteoric rise, proving himself as one of the leading quarterbacks in the league. In his first five seasons, he has reinvigorated the Buffalo Bills, led them back to the limelight, been an MVP finalist twice, and now adds another accomplishment to his glowing résumé. His selection for the cover marks a first for the Buffalo Bills, with no player from the franchise ever having this honor before.
Being the cover athlete for Madden NFL is a prestigious acknowledgment, seen as a testament to a player’s influence and performance in the league. Each year, NFL players eagerly campaign for this coveted opportunity, recognizing it as a significant career milestone. Fans, too, eagerly anticipate the reveal, often associating their favorite versions of the game not by the release year but by the athlete who featured on the cover.
In previous years, Allen’s achievement might have been tainted by the specter of the “Madden Curse.” This superstition suggested that athletes gracing the Madden cover often faced challenging seasons following their appearance, often due to injuries or performance issues.
However, in recent years, the Madden Curse appears to have lost its potency. Some of the league’s top quarterbacks have featured on the cover over the past half-decade without falling prey to such a fate. Notably, Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to Super Bowl LIV victory in the same season as his Madden NFL 20 cover feature, and Tom Brady, despite appearing on the cover twice, has continued to perform at an elite level.
With his official confirmation as the Madden NFL 24 cover athlete, Allen has further cemented his status as a football icon. He will undoubtedly be hoping to continue the recent trend and evade any remnants of the “Madden Curse,” replicating the success of his predecessors on the field in the coming season. With the anticipation of the game’s release building, all eyes will be on Allen as we wait to see what this next chapter of his career holds.