MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 02: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass against the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter in Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Patrick Mahomes made history as the youngest player to win an MVP and a Super Bowl. Could he make history as the first back-to-back Madden cover star?
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes broke the Madden curse this year winning the Super Bowl MVP with a comeback effort to beat the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl 54.
Mahomes was the Madden 2020 cover star after his MVP season in 2019 when he threw 50 touchdowns and led the Chiefs to the AFC Championship Game.
Could he go back-to-back after leading the Chiefs to the franchise’s first Super Bowl win in 50 years?
Mahomes didn’t have the same video-game statistics he had in his MVP this season due to injuries and natural regression. But his postseason excellence combined with his affable personality makes him one of it not the face of the NFL.
He’s got a great case to be on the cover of Madden 2021.
It’s not happening though after the season Lamar Jackson had when he won the MVP. Every Sunday, Jackson was one of the top stories of the day. He helped fantasy teams win championships and made too many defenders look silly trying to tackle him in the open field.
Jackson led the NFL with 36 touchdowns and broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing yards by a quarterback with 1,206 yards on a NFL-best 6.9 yards per carry.
Not only was Jackson a human highlight reel last season but he led the Baltimore Ravens to the best record in the AFC.
Jackson is the perfect Madden cover star.
Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey and New Orleans Saints receiver Michael Thomas also have a great case to be on the cover after their historic seasons.
McCaffrey was the first running back since Marshall Faulk to run and catch for 1,000 yards. Thomas broke Marvin Harrison’s single-season record for receptions in a year.
No disrespect to Mahomes, McCaffrey or Thomas but the Madden 2021 cover belongs to Jackson.
The two quarterbacks may share a rivalry in the Madden cover wars and it should extend to the field where the Chiefs and Ravens could be deciding who goes to the Super Bowl from the AFC for the next few years with those star quarterbacks entering their prime.