Landing on the cover of Madden is seen as a great honor. The yearly game has become a staple in the video game industry, being released every year for nearly four decades. The last Atlanta Falcons player to grace the cover was Michael Vick 22 years ago, but that streak could soon come to an end.
It wouldn't be all that surprising to see Bijan Robinson be the cover athlete of Madden NFL 27. NFL Network's Bobby Kownack listed Bijan as one of five potential candidates to grace the cover of the latest edition. This would be exciting for everyone in and around the organization.
"Madden NFL has been feting cover stars for over a quarter century and just went with running backs in back-to-back releases for the first time over the last two years," Kownack wrote. "So, why would EA Sports elect to go with a ball-carrier yet again? Because Bijan is the most video game-like player in the NFL right now."
As Kownack noted, Bijan would be the third consecutive running back to land on the front cover of the video game. Christian McCaffrey was Madden 25's cover athlete and Saquon Barkley was Madden 26's.
Bijan Robinson could be the first Falcons' player on the Madden cover in 22 years
However, he is up against stiff competition to continue the trend. Kownack named Robinson as one of the candidates, along with Matthew Stafford, Kenneth Walker III, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Myles Garrett.
Those are some tough names to compete with; Stafford had another phenomenal season, Walker won Super Bowl MVP, Smith-Njigba won Offensive Player of the Year, and Garrett broke the single-season sack record and was Defensive Player of the Year.
So, despite his 2,200-yard season, it is hard to see Bijan landing on the cover. He plays for a team that was an afterthought last year, while his competition was in the limelight far more often. This ultimately comes down to who will sell more copies. Unfortunately, that isn't the Falcons' superstar.
But maybe this is a good thing for the playoff-hopeful Dirty Birds.
Falcons may not want Bijan Robinson on the cover of Madden 27
Anyone who has followed this subject knows about the 'Madden Curse.' While things have calmed down recently, there was a stretch of years where the cover athlete struggled in the following season due to injuries or ineffectiveness.
Vick was the last Falcons' player on the cover, and we don't need to talk about what happened next. Beyond him, there were Marshall Faulk, Daunte Culpepper, Peyton Hillis, and Christian McCaffrey.
Is this actually a concern? It depends on how superstitious you are. Bijan has stayed remarkably healthy throughout his three-year career. If anyone can hurdle the alleged curse, it is this guy.
All in all, it would be exciting for many Falcons fans to see their favorite player on the front cover. This team hasn't had much to celebrate over the past decade, but this would be an exciting development.
Typically, the announcement comes in mid-to-late June, with the game coming out 2-3 weeks before the season kicks off.
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