The San Francisco 49ers have received practically every award and praise attainable in their long and illustrious history, except one. Since the Madden video game series began including players on the cover in 2000, no Niners have been pickedโuntil now.
EA Sports announced Tuesday that 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be the cover player for Madden NFL 25, which will be released on August 16.
In addition to becoming the first Niner on the cover in the player-centric period, McCaffrey is the first running back to appear on the cover since Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders in 2013, and the first non-quarterback since Antonio Brown in 2018. Garrison Hearst, a former Niners running back, appears on the cover of the 1999 international version of the game.
“It’s really humbling,” McCaffrey said. “I’m incredibly appreciative because anything like this is a tribute to my teammates, coaches, and other individuals who have helped me be in a position to succeed, and I’m really thankful for that.
“This is such an exciting milestone for me, and to be on the cover, I think of all the individuals who have supported me along the road, and obviously, being the first 49ers player is quite humbling when you consider how many greats have played for this franchise. I feel quite blessed.”
It seems like McCaffrey is in for quite the summer, what with the Madden accolade being the icing on the cake. McCaffrey signed a 2-year, $38 million agreement with the Niners on June 4, after a season in which he earned the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award after accumulating 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns, as well as his first Super Bowl trip. He just celebrated his 28th birthday and will get married in the following weeks.
McCaffrey was surprised to be on Madden’s cover.
While McCaffrey was in his car, his agent broke the news to him. McCaffrey has been a longtime fan of the video game series. He and his brothers Max, Dylan, and Luke played the 2001 Nintendo 64 version of the game. They played as the Denver Broncos, and the virtual versions of their father, Ed, and fellow receiver Rod Smith were the only targets.
“It’s a call I never imagined I’d get,” McCaffrey remarked. “I’ve always envisioned playing in the league and hopefully having success in the league, but it’s just something that I never thought would happen to me, so it was definitely a surprising call and one that I’ll always remember.”
Madden has also played an important part in McCaffrey’s charitable endeavors. One year, his charity throws “The Logan Bowl,” which pits NFL players against one another in Madden games. That event benefits “The Logan Project,” which began in 2022 and aims to send gaming consoles and games to children’s hospitals around the nation.
Kansas City Chiefs WR Marquise Brown won the 2024 event, which generated over $158,000. McCaffrey expressed anticipation that his team would be able to discover new methods to grow the project now that he has cover status.
“I think this is just a little cherry on top and something that we’ll have to put our creativity together with my team and figure out some different things that we can do,” McCaffrey said. “But obviously, the goal is to get as many gaming consoles into hospitals as possible for these kids who are going through a lot.” I’m not sure whether it contributes anything particular, but we’ll surely be creative and do some interesting stuff with it.”
