As the NFL season heads towards its culmination in the Super Bowl, fans of teams not playing on that hallowed Sunday are left looking towards the future. Not only are fans doing this, but players around the league who didn’t see much team success are doing the same.
A number of these guys had tremendous individual performances and are looking to leverage that success for a chance at the cover of next year’s Madden title. Let’s now take a look at 10 NFL players most likely to land the cover for Madden 21.
10 George Kittle
When Rob Gronkowski decided to retire at the end of the 2018 playoffs fans began to wonder when the league would see another tight end of his caliber when it came to dominating the game from tight end.
It turns out the league already had his successor in George Kittle who has made a case as the best player in the NFL on numerous occasions during the 2019 season. His team is set to try and make a run at a Super Bowl which will only bolster his popularity as his name recognition is growing exponentially.
9 Khalil Mack
If you’ve never stopped to watch the Chicago Bears defense then you’d be unfamiliar with the type of dominance Khalil Mack is capable of. He may have only registered 8.5 sacks this season, but almost every one of his sacks led to a forced fumble. On top of that, the man is practically triple-teamed every play and still manages to apply pressure.
He’s one of the league’s best defensive players and happens to play in one of the bigger markets in the NFL which seems like the perfect combination for someone looking to land the cover.
8 Stephon Gilmore
Most people consider Stephon Gilmore a lock for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award, but challengers have argued that his numbers in coverage are inflated due to several missed holding calls on his part. However, you feel about his award chances it’s hard to deny how prominent a player Gilmore became in 2019.
He went from being unknown by casual fans to being the most well-known corner outside of Richard Sherman. That being said it’s hard for defensive players to get the cover, let alone a cornerback.
7 Michael Thomas
In 2019 the New Orleans Saints managed to have a wide receiver in Michael Thomas, shatter the single-season record for receptions in a given year. Thomas plays in an offense that arguably revolves around him and his spectacular route-running and catching radius.
Unfortunately, his dominance over the years hasn’t equated to much in the playoffs, but at the end of the day, he’s still one of the best players in the entire NFL regardless of position. Given his personality, he’d probably love getting the chance to grace the cover of Madden 21.
6 Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry, the current reigning NFL rushing titleholder, has burst on the scene the last couple of years and has emerged as one of the league’s most dominant running backs. With the size of an NFL linebacker and the speed of an elite level wide receiver, he’s a matchup nightmare for every defense in existence.
You’d think that the small market would hurt his chances but the Tennessee Titans have graced the cover of Madden twice before with both running back Eddie George and quarterback Vince Young landing the role.
5 Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson’s former college coach Dabo Swinney recently compared the talented quarterback to Michael Jordan. He said it’s the closest he’s ever seen an athlete be to arguably the NBA’s greatest player of all-time. From purely a competitive perspective that comparison is quite evident.
Watson also has this innate ability to make magic happen on a football field. This was last seen as he evaded a sack in the NFL Playoffs and led his team to a victory. Players as electric as Watson often land the cover of Madden at some point in their career, why not in 2020?
4 Josh Allen
Josh Allen, starting quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, happens to be one of the most unpredictable players in today’s game. Whenever the offense for the Bills steps out on the field it’s unclear whether Allen will fumble, throw an interception, run for a touchdown, or bomb it downfield for an amazing passing play.
He has an intangible entertainment value to himself that’s hard to deny. He took the playoff loss to the Houston Texans pretty hard and vowed to learn from it. Nothing cheers you up quite like landing the cover of the NFL’s premier video game.
3 Russell Wilson
Does Russell Wilson deserve a shot at the cover of Madden 21? Well, of course, he does. The biggest problem for Russell is that his defense from their back-to-back Super Bowl appearances has already appeared as the faces of the franchise. There’s no rule in place that says a team can’t appear on the cover twice, but they might favor the opportunity if giving it to another NFL team.
At the end of the day, Russell Wilson’s an elite NFL quarterback who happens to have Ciara at his side. A Madden cover, or lack thereof, doesn’t seem like a big letdown.
2 Christian McCaffrey
Christian McCaffrey has the misfortune of playing the most underappreciated position in football currently. During the 2019 NFL season, McCaffrey became only the 4th player ever to register 1,000 yards both rushing and receiving.
He accounting for a staggering amount of offensive production for a Carolina Panthers team that’s currently headed towards a likely rebuild. His playmaking ability and willingness to contribute however he’s needed has caught the eye of fans and he’s built a following of millions on social media.
1 Lamar Jackson
Lamar Jackson is likely the 2019 NFL MVP and is currently focused on trying to lift the Lombardi Trophy in early February. Last year Patrick Mahomes managed to land the cover of Madden following his tremendous breakout year in the league and it looks like Lamar Jackson may very well be on the same path. Michael Vick inspired a whole generation of black quarterbacks in the early 2000s and it seems that Jackson is doing the same now at the turn of the decade. Place your bets on #8 gracing the cover of Madden 21.
NEXT: Madden 20: 10 Tips For Building A Better Ultimate Team
