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Saquon Barkley Sends Message After Major Announcement on Monday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Rodney Knuppel | Last updated Jun 2, 2025 1:05 PM ET

Saquon Barkley is making headlines this NFL offseason. The Super Bowl champion, fresh off an incredible first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, is once again at the center of major news and fan excitement.

With the 2025 NFL season set to kick off in early September, EA Sports has officially announced the cover athlete for Madden 2026, and it’s none other than Barkley himself, a well-deserved honor.

The star running back, who spent his first six seasons with the New York Giants, shared his excitement shortly after the news broke:

"Hurdling onto the @EAMaddenNFL cover. Dream come true! Fly Eagles Fly."

Hurdling onto the @EAMaddenNFL cover Dream come true! Fly Eagles Fly https://t.co/zUTwOWHE1U pic.twitter.com/X1xQWIEpk6
— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) June 2, 2025

Barkley’s reaction came quickly after EA Sports made the official announcement. Madden NFL 2026 is scheduled to release to the public on Aug. 14.

Last year, Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers was featured on the cover. Before that, it was Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, and in 2023, the game honored the legendary John Madden himself.

Barkley helped lead the Eagles to a victory in Super Bowl LIX. The former Penn State standout, who was selected second overall by the Giants in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, has built an impressive resume. He was named Big Ten Most Valuable Player twice during his college career.

In his first season with the Eagles, Barkley led the NFL in rushing yards (2,005) and earned the prestigious Bert Bell Award. He also made his third Pro Bowl appearance, cementing himself as one of the top backs in the league.

While he’s no rookie, Barkley made waves in his debut season back in 2018 by breaking the NFL record for most receptions by a rookie running back with 91. The previous record was held by Reggie Bush (88 for the New Orleans Saints in 2006). Last season, he recorded 2,504 total yards across the regular season and playoffs, including a jaw-dropping 2,857 from scrimmage, setting new franchise records in the process.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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