QB Caleb Williams will be the 1st Bears player featured on the Madden NFL cover

Phil Thompson and Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune on Jun 3, 2026

Published in Football

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CHICAGO — Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams will grace the cover of Madden NFL 27 — the first player in franchise history to be on the cover of the popular video game — EA Sports announced Wednesday morning.

“When I received the call from Madden, it was like my childhood dream was coming true,” Williams said in a statement released by EA Sports. “Being on the cover of Madden NFL 27 is a full-circle moment. I grew up playing Madden and imagining what it would be like to be part of the game.

“I know fans are going to love what’s new in this year’s game, and I’m looking forward to getting my rating up to a 99 by the end of the season.”

EA Sports will host a “season opener” for its College Football 27 and Madden NFL 27 games at 5 p.m. Thursday at Navy Pier, and new game features will be revealed.

Two covers were revealed: one doing his “Iceman” celebration post and another recreating his leaping “Air Jordan” throw.

Williams’ Air Jordan moment came on the fourth-and-8 completion to Rome Odunze in the fourth quarter of the playoff win over Green Bay. It was a do-or-die moment and Williams narrowly avoided a defender grabbing at his feet. Still shots of the moment looked eerily reminiscent of the Jordan logo.

“Obviously everybody knows the Air Jordan, the sunrise of him doing his Air Jordan with the skyline behind him. I was like I want to recreate it (with) football, kind of bring it back 30 years, however many years, later,” Williams said Wednesday on the “New Heights” podcast.

“So we did that one and (the Iceman) obviously had to go in there. This was a really cool photoshoot.”

The Madden cover often is seen as the anointing of the NFL’s next superstar, and few players generated more buzz last season than Williams. He led a league-high seven fourth-quarter comeback wins, including the postseason, tied for the second-most in one season by any quarterback in NFL history.

Williams’ walk-off, 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore beat the Green Bay Packers in overtime in Week 16 and was named the Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year at the annual NFL Honors in February.

“Caleb Williams is what a true Face of the Franchise looks like — the culmination of many moments in the Chicago Bears’ incredible history that has led them to their electric, generational quarterback,” Evan Dexter, EA Sports vice president of franchise strategy and marketing, said in a statement.

“It’s probably going to be one of the newer trophies for me, being able to put it up next to all those other cool trophies I have,” Williams added on “New Heights.”

The last three Madden cover athletes were Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.