McCaffrey named Madden NFL 25 cover athlete

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will grace the cover of Madden NFL 25, EA Sports announced Tuesday.

McCaffrey is the first 49ers player to appear on the cover of the long-running video game franchise.

"This is such a cool milestone for me," McCaffrey said, according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "And to be on the cover, I think of those people who have helped me along the way, and obviously, being the first 49ers player is really humbling when you think about how many greats have played for this organization."

McCaffrey, who turned 28 on June 7, is fresh off an Offensive Player of the Year campaign where he led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), touches (339), scrimmage yards (2,023), and scrimmage touchdowns (21).

The Madden cover selection is the latest milestone amid a busy offseason for McCaffrey. The Stanford product signed a reported two-year, $38-million extension earlier in June and is getting married this summer.

McCaffrey is the first playing non-quarterback to appear on the cover in several years. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Kansas City Chiefs signal-caller Patrick Mahomes (twice), the now-retired Tom Brady, and Baltimore Ravens dual-threat Lamar Jackson have featured on the game's cover since Madden NFL 20.

John Madden himself was the last non-quarterback to be pictured on the cover after EA Sports honored the legendary coach and broadcaster for Madden NFL 23 after he died in December 2021. Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was the last non-quarterback player, appearing on Madden NFL 19.

McCaffrey is the first running back selected since Adrian Peterson and Hall of Famer Barry Sanders appeared on the covers of the 25th anniversary edition of the game in 2013, also called Madden NFL 25.

The Madden series started as "John Madden Football" in 1988, with Madden himself appearing on each cover from the inaugural game through Madden NFL 2000. NFL players have been on every cover since, excluding the 2023 edition.

Madden NFL 25 is scheduled to release Aug. 16 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and PC.