Philadelphia, often known as the City of Brotherly Love, boasts an abundance of excellence when it comes to NFL football. Not only did the Philadelphia Eagles clinch Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans, Louisiana, but they can now proudly claim their first-ever offensive player rated 99 on the cover of Madden 26.
It has long been speculated, but now it’s confirmed: Saquon Barkley is indeed the athlete gracing this year’s cover of Madden NFL 26. The creative team at EA Sports chose an amazingly athletic recreation of Saquon’s “reverse hurdle” move as the cover art for the game.
Saquon Barkley is the Madden 26 Cover Athlete
2,005 rushing yards and a viral move will do that.
It was believed that since Barkley was chosen as the cover athlete, EA Sports might opt to use his famous reverse hurdle pose as the game’s cover art. However, publishers usually avoid using real NFL in-game imagery, so some doubted whether EA would take such a route. As it happens, EA and Barkley decided to create their own version of the move for the cover instead.
Regardless if you’re a supporter of the New York Giants or the Philadelphia Eagles, one thing we can all agree on is that the cover for Madden 26 is fantastic. If you usually purchase the digital version, this year might be different; you may want to opt for the physical copy instead. Unfortunately, you can’t order it directly from your console or EA’s site, so you’ll need to make a separate purchase if you decide to go with the physical edition.
What’s In The Madden 26 Digital Deluxe Edition?
Is it worth splurging on? Or stick with the Standard Edition with that sweet cover?
Prior to purchasing the real copy of Madden 26, consider spending a few minutes deciding which edition suits you best. The Deluxe Edition comes with various additional features, however, it’s digital-only and sports an alternate cover showcasing Saquon’s reverse hurdle instead. Avid Madden players might find the extra content offered by the Deluxe Edition over the Standard Edition appealing when preordered.
- 3 Days Early Access (Beginning August 11th)
- 4,600 Madden Ultimate Team Points
- Early Access to Solo Challenges
- A Season 1 Elite Player Item (Expires 7/24)
- A Player Card Exclusive Item
The Madden 26 Deluxe Edition is priced significantly higher than its Standard counterpart. The Deluxe version is exclusive to digital platforms and retails at $99.99 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S users. Conversely, the Standard Edition comes in at a lower price of $69.99 and can be shipped to your doorstep on its release date, which is August 14th for all platforms including Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
If you plan to hold off on buying it, I’d advise making that decision today so you can secure your copy when it launches. You wouldn’t want to miss the kickoff (or appear like a certain anonymous Jacksonville Jaguars player), as not having your copy from the start could be a disadvantage.
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2025-06-03 21:43