Former Penn State legend Saquon Barkley is the next Madden cover athlete
Former Penn State running back Saquon Barkley can add another line to his resume this year, which includes Super Bowl champion and Madden cover athlete. EA Sports revealed the latest edition of its flagship video game, which comes out on August 15, 2025. Barkley is the first former Penn State football player to grace the cover of the signature NFL video game.
Barkley’s iconic backward hurdle over Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jarian Jones became the highlight of the 2024 season, propelling the already famous Barkley to a new level of superstardom. The Deluxe Edition offers a second shot of the Philadelphia Eagles running back.
Barkley and Eagles have a historic run in Penn State’s backyard
The Eagles lost just one game after its Week Six bye week, a three-point loss to the Washington Commanders, whom the Eagles eventually faced in the NFC Championship game. Barkley was the focal point of the Eagles’ offense, gaining a league-leading 2005 rushing yards, just 100 yards short of Erick Dickerson’s 2015 record for a single season set in 1984. All told, Barkley rushed for 2,504 yards during the team’s regular and postseason championship run.
Barkley was a no-brainer for the cover of the next edition of Madden. The old Barkley from his Penn State days was back in his first season with the Birds, ripping off explosive runs in the Eagles’ aggressive zone system. Not only that, but the jaw-dropping acrobatics, like his backward hurdle, which signified his time at Penn State, were back. Before this season, Barkley’s most iconic hurdle came during his Penn State days. In 2017, Barkley hurdled an Iowa defender on third and sixth to extend a critical fourth-quarter drive. Not only did he jump over a defender, but he took contact in mid-air and maintained balance to the ground to pick up the first down.
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Barkley signs a record-setting contract in the offseason
Before last season, running backs in the NFL were starting to become secondary figures in the game. Barkley was famously let go by the New York Giants, who debated the decision on Hard Knocks, which became a viral moment, thanks to the seismic season he had the following year. Not only did the Giants lose the former Penn State star, they lost him to the Eagles, his in-state, home team and division rival.
Since the Super Bowl, Barkley signed a two-year contract worth $41.2 million, making him the highest-paid running back by average yearly salary in NFL history.
