One of the biggest announcements of the offseason could be just days away. Sorry New England Patriots fans, that will not be the announcement of a new offensive coordinator or finally trading or releasing N’Keal Harry, although with Bill Belichick, you really can’t count anything out.
That big announcement will be which NFL superstar will grace the cover of Madden NFL 23, if anyone does at all.
With the passing of John Madden in December, rumor has it that the EA Sports video game will honor the late great coach and NFL announcer by having him on the cover. But that didn’t stop NFL.com from revealing their ranking of the top 5 NFL stars that should grace the cover.
Would any current New England Patriots player be a candidate to grace the cover of Madden NFL?
In that top 5 is former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady who has graced the cover twice. Also on that list are Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs, Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt and coming in at No. 1 is Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp.
All worthy candidates indeed, but the list had me thinking about which current Patriots players would be top candidates. Since the days of Brady, Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman are over, who are those marketable players who should even be considered?
As a team that is still building and developing young players, the Patriots as a team and organization is marketable as long as Belichick is still grabbing headlines, but there are some players making a name for themselves around the NFL.
So, who are the top 3 New England Patriots candidates for the cover of Madden NFL 23? Let’s reveal.
No. 3: Why Damien Harris is a top New England Patriots candidate to grace the cover of Madden NFL 23
When New England Patriots running back Damien Harris is not making NBA Finals predictions, he is scoring touchdowns.
Coming off a breakout season, the Alabama product is primed for another big season, a season in which he will not only be playing for a new contract but could possibly establish himself as a top 10 running back in the NFL.
While Nick Chubb, Joe Mixon, Najee Harris and Jonathan Taylor are all running backs expected to dominate the headlines in 2022, the league can’t sleep on a running back who rushed for 15 touchdowns in 2021 and fell just short of a 1,000-yard rushing season.
With injuries and the emergence of fellow running back Rhamondre Stevenson as the only things stopping Harris from producing even bigger numbers than that, the Patriots running back encompasses everything John Madden would’ve loved in a running back. He is strong, hits the holes, refuses to go down and has breakaway speed.
In theory, it would probably take another productive season for Damien Harris to even be considered a candidate to grace the cover of the EA Sports video game, but his versatility and what he gives the New England Patriots offense when he is completely healthy makes him a quality player to consider if one had to choose a Patriots player.
No. 2: Why Matthew Judon is a top New England Patriots candidate to grace the cover of Madden NFL 23
With J.C. Jackson taking his talents to the Los Angeles Chargers, the top defensive player on the New England Patriots is Matthew Judon.
Although he tailored off towards the end of the season, Judon was every bit worth the money as his signature red sleeves made opposing quarterbacks duck for cover.
Unless Christian Barmore really breaks out in his second season or the Patriots get contributions from several young linebackers, Judon should be the leader on defense once again in 2022.
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Like Harris, however, there are several pass rushers who would be prime candidates ahead of the sack-master, but again when it comes to Patriots players who are marketable, the veteran linebacker as established himself as one of those players in just one season played and that is due to his charisma off the field, along with how he produced throughout most of the season.
Obviously, Judon was a 2021 free agent signing Bill Belichick hit on and a player the Patriots head coach will rely on in 2022. And just think, wouldn’t those red sleeves look good on the cover of Madden NFL 23?
Aside from that, Matt Judon has really been a breath of fresh air for Boston Sports Media when he speaks during conferences. But he does have to work on his recruiting skills on Twitter although he wouldn’t be the blame for the Patriots not landing big free agents in 2022.
No. 1: Why Matthew Judon is a top New England Patriots candidate to grace the cover of Madden NFL 23
The New England Patriots second-year quarterback is following the footsteps of Tom Brady in in every other way, so why not the cover of Madden NFL?
Obviously, it won’t be Madden NFL 23, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Mac Jones eventually does grace the cover, especially if he leads the team to the Super Bowl early in his career.
As far as marketability, Jones is already in the top 10 when it comes to jersey sales and media pundits like Nick Wright can’t keep his name out of his mouth. Having haters is a good thing because it means you must be doing something right.
Look at Tom Brady. Despite his success and longevity in this league, he still has doubters and that’s more because of his excellence. Mac Jones entered the league with doubt and now he must continue growing and proving those haters wrong.
As far as the late John Madden and how he viewed players, Jones has the intangibles that lead to success for traditional quarterbacks. He throws with accuracy, makes good decisions in the pocket, and has led his team to the playoffs.
Granted, it wasn’t the kind of playoff success New England Patriots fans are accustomed to, but for a rookie, Mac Jones gave hope for the future. Whether it is good or bad at this stage of his career, he is already establishing himself as the face of the organization just through the national media buzz he gets.
Like Brady had to do during the days of Peyton Manning, Jones will have young quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Josh Allen he will always have to compete with, but he doesn’t have to be the best to be a great leader.
If the team wins with him under center, that’s good enough in my opinion to make him a top candidate to grace the cover of Madden NFL 23…as far as current Patriots players.