The year is 2004. Michael Vick is the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and is the most electrifying player in the NFL, which earns him the honor of being the Madden cover athlete. Fast forward nearly 20 years and Michael Vick remains the first, last, and only Atlanta Falcon to grace the cover of the iconic video game franchise. Could that change in the next few years?
After discussing the announcement of Josh Allen as the cover athlete on the "Abe T-L Show," Abe Gordon and Dominic Choroski broke down which Falcon has the best chance to follow in Michael Vick's footsteps.
There are five players that have a "realistic" shot at being a cover athlete. Desmond Ridder, Kyle Pitts, Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Jessie Bates.
When it comes to Desmond Ridder, Abe Gordon says, "Madden has been very quarterback friendly...but I don't think he (Desmond Ridder) will accomplish it." Ridder would have to reach the elite level of quarterbacks, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, etc, to get the chance. Even for the most optimistic believers in Ridder, that seems a bit out of reach.
Madden has started to branch out and give pass-catchers the cover in recent years. Rob Gronkowski, Odell Beckham Jr., and Calvin Johnson have all been named as cover athletes in the last decade. That bodes well for a player like Drake London, but with so many other young receivers, Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase, already established it will be hard for London to break through the crowd. Kyle Pitts, when healthy, is one of the best tight ends in the NFL, but needs to up his touchdown production to be considered.
Of the 22 Madden covers featuring a layer, 10 of them were quarterbacks. Running backs are second on the list with five appearances. Could Bijan Robinson be the answer?
Maybe wearing the same number as Vick did helps his chances. Something else that might boost Robinson's odds, the Falcons' run heavy offense behind an offensive line that allowed Falcons' ball carriers to rush for a total of 2,718 yards in 2022, third best in the NFL.
Abe Gordon also gave mention to newly added safety, Jessie Bates, as a player with an outside shot at the cover, "If they do a multiple athlete cover...maybe Jessie Bates has a chance." Gordon went on to say that Bates would need those "big moments" to stand out and get the recognition needed to be considered.