Eagles RB Saquon Barkley's reverse hurdle to grace cover of 'Madden NFL 26'

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley's reverse hurdle over Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jarrian Jones was widely viewed as the top play of the 2024 NFL season. Now, the play will be commemorated in arguably the biggest way possible.

Barkley was named the cover athlete for "Madden NFL 26" by EA Sports on Monday. The cover of the game features Barkley recreating that memorable hurdle. He was also named to the Madden 99 Club, becoming the first Eagles offensive player to earn a 99 overall rating in the video game.

"Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL ‘99 Club’ are both dreams come true," Barkley said in an EA Sports press release. "I’m grateful to my teammates, coaches, and Eagles fans for their support, and I can’t wait to hit the field again to give Madden players more highlight-reel moments in Madden NFL 26."

Barkley's first season with the Eagles was one for the ages. He won Offensive Player of the Year as he led the league in rushing, going for 2,005 yards. He fell 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson's longstanding regular-season record, missing the chance to break it by sitting in the Eagles' regular-season finale. He also rushed for 13 touchdowns, adding 33 receptions for 278 yards and two touchdowns during the regular season.

While Barkley didn't break the rushing record in the regular season, he broke the total rushing record in the postseason. He ran for 499 yards in Philadelphia's four playoff games, helping it win its second Super Bowl. Barkley's 2,504 total rushing yards for the season broke the record Pro Football Hall of Famer set in 1998 (2,476 yards). 

"Saquon's reverse hurdle was one of the rare, defining moments in NFL history that would have once been described as 'something out of a videogame,'" "Madden NFL" VP, Franchise Strategy & Marketing Evan Dexter said in a news release. "Now, it’s a display of the athleticism and creativity of one football's most electrifying athletes. Madden NFL 26 will deliver the most real NFL experience we've ever built so that players can experience more of the unreal moments that Saquon put on display all season long."

Barkley will become the second player in Eagles history to be featured on the cover of "Madden NFL." Longtime Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was on the cover of "Madden NFL 06."

A full reveal of the game will be made on Wednesday. The game will be released on Aug. 14, with fans being able to pre-order it for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on Tuesday. Fans can also pre-order the game via EA Sports' MVP Bundle, which allows access to the deluxe versions of "Madden NFL 26" and "College Football 26." Users can play both games three days early through the MVP Bundle. 

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