Madden 24 cover athlete: Why Bills’ Josh Allen was chosen by EA Sports for 2023 video game

EA Sports took a temporary break from the tradition of putting an active player on the cover of its Madden video over the last two years, but those days have returned. Now, Madden is going somewhere the game hasn't gone before: Buffalo.

Josh Allen was revealed to be the Madden 24 cover athlete, becoming the Bills' first-ever cover athlete and joining the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson as members of the new generation of NFL quarterbacks to grace the game.

Some Bills fans might be wary of Allen's selection, thanks to the infamous Madden curse. Some players have suffered injuries, posted disappointing seasons, or descended into madness (looking at you, Antonio Brown) shortly after being named the Madden cover athlete, but Mahomes' Super Bowl 54 victory in the same season he donned the Madden cover might have put the curse to rest.

MORE: What is the Madden curse? A complete history of NFL stars who experienced cover jinx

Here's what you need to know about why Allen was chosen to be the Madden 24 cover athlete.

Madden 24 cover athlete

EA Sports announced Wednesday that Josh Allen will be the Madden 24 cover athlete.

(Getty Images)

Allen took to Twitter to call the moment a "childhood dream come true."

A childhood dream come true 🙏
#Madden24 | #EAathlete pic.twitter.com/8PYdq9WOuH

— Josh Allen (@JoshAllenQB) June 7, 2023

The Bills are fired up as well. Along with Allen, Bills Mafia is featured prominently on the Deluxe Edition cover.

JOSH. ALLEN.

2024 @EAMADDENNFL COVER.

THAT’S OUR QUARTERBACK.https://t.co/Mh3nFyeHEy pic.twitter.com/tw6HwjYZNO

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) June 7, 2023

It's the latest honor for Allen, who is still chasing an MVP and a championship but has otherwise become one of the most accomplished young quarterbacks in the NFL since being drafted seventh overall by the Bills in 2018.

Allen has helped turn Buffalo into an annual contender in the AFC, and this level of stardom was far from guaranteed when he was one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2018 draft.

Allen's selection also represents a new frontier for the game, as no Bills played has ever been selected as a Madden cover athlete. Allen is also the fourth different quarterback to land on the cover in the last seven years. Before 2017, EA went six consecutive years without putting a QB on the cover.

MORE: Release date, new features & more to know about Madden 24

Madden covers by year

John Madden appeared on every Madden cover from 1988 through 1999, until EA began the tradition of selecting a cover athlete as the game grew in popularity. The first cover Madden didn't appear on was Madden NFL 2001, released in 2000, when Eddie George was selected as the cover athlete.

Below is a list of each Madden cover athlete since 2000. The only players to appear on multiple Madden covers during that span are Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

MORE: Look back at every Madden cover since 2000

MORE: Why Madden video game is named after John Madden

Madden 24 trailer

EA Sports also released the official trailer for Madden 24 on Wednesday. You can watch the full video below.

You were made for this 💥

Pre-order #Madden24 today https://t.co/6PIfUHWy4r pic.twitter.com/qgLcqlCmR7

— Madden NFL 24 (@EAMaddenNFL) June 7, 2023