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Who is the Madden 27 cover athlete? Why some think Bears QB Caleb Williams is face of 2026 video game originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Gracing the cover of "Madden NFL," EA Sports' longtime NFL video game franchise, has become a right of passage among ascending stars in the league.
From Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes, to Calvin Johnson, Richard Sherman and Saquon Barkley, only football's most well-known names are given the opportunity to pose on the cover of the game. Nowadays, the reveal of the "Madden" cover athlete has become one of the most highly anticipated topics of the NFL offseason, with fans hoping their favorite team's superstar was selected as the new featured face of the game.
On Saturday, potential leaks of the cover athlete for "Madden NFL 27," releasing later this summer, were posted on social media — and if they prove accurate, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams appears to be the new star.
Here's what's known about the accuracy of apparent Madden 27 cover leaks.
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Is Caleb Williams the Madden 27 cover athlete?
For now, there has been no confirmation from EA Sports, or any completely reliable indications, that Williams will officially grace the cover of Madden 27.
But based on one apparent social media leak courtesy of a popular gaming profile, MUTLeaks, the Bears quarterback may be Madden's new star this summer. On Saturday, the account — which has over 128,000 followers on X — posted pictures of what appears to be the leaked covers of both Madden NFL 27 and College Football 27.
The potential Madden leak showed Williams hitting his "Iceman" pose with snow falling around him, while the College Football leak showed Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and more standing together.
The leaked cover was the deluxe edition, which typically has a different cover design than the regular edition but features the same athlete.
Phony covers for Madden, and other sports video games, have often been floated out by fans in the past, but the "MUTLeaks" account also has more of a reputation for revealing accurate information about the game's players and packs before they get released.
Until EA Sports confirms the leaks, however, it won't officially be known whether Williams is the new Madden cover athlete. Further details on Madden NFL 27 are expected soon — EA Sports recently announced that it will provide more information on June 4 as part of an "Opening Drive" showcase.
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Has a Bears player ever been the Madden cover athlete?
No Bears player has ever been on the main cover of Madden — Williams would be the first, if officially selected. Technically, however, former Bears offensive lineman Roberto Garza was on the cover of the Madden 09 Spanish version.
Williams is certainly a strong candidate to be Chicago's first main Madden cover athlete, as the former No. 1 overall pick broke out under new head coach Ben Johnson in 2025 by throwing for 3,942 passing yards 27 passing touchdowns while leading the Bears to the NFC North title and making plenty of clutch throws.
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Madden 27 release date
The official release date for Madden NFL 27 hasn't yet been announced by EA Sports, but it's expected to be some time in August 2026, before the new NFL season kicks off.
Last year, the new Madden game released on Aug. 14.
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