'Madden NFL 27' cover reveal: Caleb Williams becomes first Bears player on cover

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has been selected as the cover athlete for "Madden NFL 27," making him the first Bear to ever grace the cover of the world-famous football game. 

In his second NFL season, Williams completed 58.1% of his passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions while helping Chicago improve from 5-12 to 11-6. Those 3,942 passing yards set a franchise single-season record, and the Bears' No. 6 ranking in total offense was Chicago's highest since the 1983 season, according to CBS Sports Research. Under new head coach Ben Johnson, the Bears clinched the NFC North for the first time since 2018 and won their first playoff game since the 2010 season.

That playoff win, which came against the rival Green Bay Packers, will go down in Bears lore. It marked the largest playoff comeback in franchise history, as Chicago came from down 18 points to defeat Green Bay, 31-27, and advance to the divisional round. Williams threw for 361 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in that game, and both touchdown passes -- plus 184 of those passing yards -- came in the fourth quarter. They were the most playoff passing yards in a fourth quarter since Tom Brady's comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. It also marked the second Bears comeback win over the rival Packers in less than a month! 

Williams and the Bears were the "cardiac kids" in 2025, as they registered seven wins when trailing in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, including playoffs, which set an NFL record. Chicago won three games when down double digits in the final five minutes of action. The rest of the NFL combined for three such wins. All of this wouldn't have been possible without the Bears' electrifying quarterback.

Williams possesses a special kind of arm talent. He can throw from all different angles while on the run or even off his back foot. His game-tying touchdown pass to Cole Kmet -- which came on fourth-and-4 with 18 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Bears' divisional-round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams -- was one of the plays of the season. 

Williams made a habit of these "video game-like plays" in 2025. Now, he's going down in Madden history. 

List of Madden cover athletes

The "Madden NFL" series first debuted in 1988, with legendary NFL announcer and Super Bowl-winning head coach John Madden agreeing to attach his name to the project. He viewed it as an educational tool, but it eventually turned into the most sophisticated football simulation that fans around the world enjoy to this day. 

Madden himself was featured on the cover of the game for the first editions, but the franchise began featuring players alone on the cover beginning in 2000 with Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George as the face of Madden 01

Here is the history of the "Madden NFL" cover athlete:

What about the 'Madden curse?'

There's an infamous "Madden curse" fans should be aware of. A number of cover athletes have suffered injuries or experienced declines in play after being selected as "Madden's" prized spokesperson.

For example, Rams running back Marshall Faulk never rushed for 1,000 yards again after landing on the cover of "Madden 2003." The same goes for Shaun Alexander of "Madden '07." Falcons quarterback Michael Vick broke his leg in the preseason after being selected as the cover athlete for "Madden 2004."

There's also former Cleveland Browns running back Peyton Hillis, perhaps the most surprising "Madden" cover athlete ever. He earned the cover after rushing for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010, but never topped 600 rushing yards again. In fact, the following season was his last in Cleveland.

Saquon Barkley was named the "Madden" cover athlete last year after setting NFL records for rushing yards and scrimmage yards in a season, including the playoffs. In 2025, his yards per carry dropped from 5.81 to 4.07, and he recorded just four 20-yard runs after racking up 17 such plays in 2024. However, Barkley still finished in the top 10 in rushing yards with 1,140.

It's worth mentioning that quarterbacks have had success beating the alleged "Madden curse." Drew Brees led the New Orleans Saints to an 11-5 record while playing every game in 2010, while Patrick Mahomes won a Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP after his first "Madden" cover -- which probably should have put the "curse" to bed. Tom Brady even led the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns when he shared the cover with Mahomes for "Madden 2022."

Hopefully Williams can follow suit and avoid any injuries.