The Late John Madden Graces The Cover Of ‘Madden NFL 23’

There was no reason for it to be anyone else. When the cover for Madden NFL 23 was unveiled to a room full of press and other members of EA’s staff it became obvious that nobody besides the late John Madden should be placed on it. The man who influenced not only the game of football, but the world of both broadcasting and video games. The impact of Madden is apparent all over the game from menus to how the game is being designed this year.

As for the cover itself, there will be three covers that each represents different stages of his career. There’s the cover with his time in the booth as a broadcaster, a cover of one of the most iconic images of his coaching career, and finally a recreation of the original cover from his first ever game, John Madden Football on the Apple II.

There was really nobody else they could have put on the cover for Madden NFL 23. The last time Madden himself was on the cover was Madden 2000, and every year since has featured an NFL athlete. This of course has led to intense yearly debates on which athlete should be on the cover of Madden, but this is a great tribute to the man who brought the game to life.

With the cover revealed, EA Sports will unveil the first full game trailer for this year’s edition on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET here.