Throughout the history of EA Sports’ Madden video games, the New England Patriots have only had two players grace the front cover, which is saying more than most teams.
Madden NFL 24 revealed on Wednesday that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was featured on the front cover of the newest addition to the popular game franchise.
On one hand, it’s easy to feel excited for such an incredible and deserving player like Allen, but on the other hand, it’s the Bills we’re talking about here.
How great would it be to see another Patriots player join Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski as the third player in New England’s history to be featured on the front cover of Madden?
Let me preface by saying this is a fun list that weighs personality just as heavily as talent on the football field. I’m taking both into consideration when picking these six Patriots players that could be future Madden NFL cover models.
JuJu Smith-Schuster won a Super Bowl with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs last season. Now, he’ll have an opportunity to make playing offense less of a headache for Mac Jones and the Patriots in 2023.
Even while playing on the same team as Travis Kelce, Smith-Schuster still hauled in 78 receptions for 933 yards and three touchdowns. He’ll have an opportunity to cross the 1,000-yard mark being the focal point in New England’s offense.
It’s easy to forget he racked up 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns in his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Of course, he was playing in a pass-happy offense with Antonio Brown as the other top receiver on the roster. There’s no Brown or Kelce in the Patriots offense, but there’s an offensive coaching mindset that loves to eat slot yards for breakfast.
Smith-Schuster could feast enough in New England to at least get the good people at EA Sports’ attention.
Matthew Judon would be the perfect Madden cover player.
He has personality for days off the field, and he’s one of the most feared pass-rushers in all of football on it. For a huge chunk of the 2022 season, he led the entire NFL in sacks.
Also, let’s not forget about Judon’s Madden NFL 23 character model.
There’s no better way of making things right than immortalizing the Patriots’ defensive star on the front cover of a future game.
Josh Uche could be on the verge of a massive breakout 2023 season. An argument could be made that he was the best pass-rusher in the league during a late five-game stretch in the latter half of the 2022 season.
He totaled 10 sacks in five games.
If he hits his stride and that effort becomes the norm, there’s no telling what kind of damage he can cause to opposing offenses. Judon even went as far as proclaiming Uche as the best pass-rusher on the Patriots’ roster.
That sort of high-end praise from a four-time Pro Bowler shouldn’t be taken lightly. Uche could be well on his way to breaking the glass ceiling and setting himself up for Madden cover consideration sometime down the line.
People are starting to smarten up to the fact that Rhamondre Stevenson is on his way to being one of the best running backs in the league. The 2023 season might be the time when he finally rises up and takes the mantle.
There’s no Damien Harris standing in front of him this time around, which means the bulk of the carries will go to him. Even with third-down running back Ty Montgomery returning from injury, Stevenson is still going to work in passing situations. He’s far too versatile at this point to treat as a one-trick pony.
In only his second season with the Patriots, he rushed for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. With an improved offense, including better play-calling and a more reliable offensive line, there’s no reason to think Stevenson won’t top those numbers in Year 3.
Mac Jones
It’s no coincidence Mac Jones’ game went off a cliff the moment Josh McDaniels left the Patriots for the Las Vegas Raiders.
Not only did Jones lose his first and only NFL offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, but he also became the guinea pig in a 2022 offense that was run by a long-time defensive coordinator.
It was an absolute mess.
With that said, people tend to forget how good Jones was as a rookie with great offensive coaching. He made the Pro Bowl and nearly threw for 4,000 yards with 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. New England should be able to get him back to that place with Bill O’Brien taking over the reins.
The same people laughing about Jones today won’t be laughing by the end of the 2023 season. He can do big things in the NFL with the right support.
Christian Gonzalez
The common theme throughout OTAs has been about how spectacular Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez has looked on the field.
Yes, I know the teams haven’t practiced in pads, and Gonzalez has yet to even take his first NFL snap. But even former Patriots legendary safety Devin McCourty admitted he was hearing great things about Gonzalez from veteran players behind the scenes.
It’s becoming harder to ignore the hype train speeding down the tracks. Gonzalez is easily one of the most athletic players to ever walk through the doors of Gillette Stadium.
With Bill Belichick overseeing his development. he could one day stand among the elite and carve out a spot for himself in Madden glory.
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Story originally appeared on Patriots Wire