Since its debut in 1988, few video-game franchises have been more important to gamers — and none have been more important to sports fans — than the "Madden" series.
And for decades, the reveal of the annual release’s cover athlete has become a pop-culture sensation in its own right.
From the original games featuring John Madden on the cover to the now two decades-plus of various NFL players, "Madden" covers have also become some of the most important collectibles in the video-game category.
Here’s a look at the most important and expensive covers and their stories from the beloved franchise.
"John Madden Football 1990"
In terms of price, one Madden stands far above the rest.
No, "John Madden Football 1990" isn’t the first "Madden," but it was the franchise’s first console release. Video-game collectors have always been romantic about the Sega Genesis console, so Madden’s debut on the platform has remained extremely important.
In addition to being extremely rare to find sealed, the game was released in a cardboard box rather than Sega’s clamshell case, making any copy difficult to find in good condition. The most expensive copy, a Wata 9.2 A+ Sealed example, sold for $480,000 at Heritage in 2022.
In addition to being a high-grade sealed example, Wata designated the copy as “From the offices of John Madden.”
"John Madden Football 1991"
Not unlike the Sega Genesis, collectors often put a premium on Nintendo items, especially the Super Nintendo.
"Madden 1991" provided collectors with the franchise’s first appearance on the beloved console, and the cover art is something any collector could be proud to have on their shelf, with a wonderful combination of red, black and blue and a great action shot of John Madden on the front.
Just months after the record-setting sale of the "Madden 1990," Heritage sold a "Madden 1991" Wata 9.6+ Sealed example, made in Japan, for $102,000.
"John Madden Football 1993"
This "Madden" edition checks a number of boxes for collectors.
Of the 10 most expensive sales for the franchise through Heritage, four are sealed rental exclusives of the "Madden 1993 Championship Edition." Why are rental copies sealed? It’s hard to know, but a number of them have sold for five figures, with the top sale being a Wata 9.4 A+ Sealed for $84,000 in 2022.
The Championship Edition also put a twist on the game by replacing the current rosters with 38 past championship teams from 1966 through 1991 and two All-Madden Teams.
"John Madden Football 1988"
"Madden 1988" is where it all really started.
After previously selling examples for the Apple II and Commodore 64, the first PC example sold by Heritage, a VGA 85 NM+ Sealed, fetched $14,400 in 2023.
The production for "Madden 1988" proved to be unique because of the effort John Madden put into helping create the game. Originally expected to simply endorse the game, Madden showed interest in making it authentic — which meant the game needed to feature all 11 players on each team instead of the planned six or seven.
Madden himself would even give EA a real playbook to help develop the game.
"Madden NFL 2001"
For the first time in the franchise’s history, John Madden was not the main character on the cover.
Instead, gamers were treated to Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George as the cover athlete, with a small image of Madden in the corner. At the time, George was a great choice — he was coming off a 1,300-yard, Pro Bowl season in 1999 and his cover season ("Madden 2001" was released in Aug. 2000) was possibly his best.
George would end 2000 with more than 1,500 rushing yards, 14 TDs and finish third in MVP voting. But after 403 carries that season, George began to wear down and was never quite the same.
"Madden NFL 25"
To date, the cover graded most by Wata has been "Madden 25" — but the first "Madden 25."
Released in 2013 to celebrate the game’s 25th anniversary, the original "Madden 25" featured Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders on the cover. According to Wata head Claire Shelton, the majority of "Madden 25" examples submitted for grading have been signed by Sanders.
Sanders beat out Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in a fan vote to appear on the cover, though Peterson would appear on the covers for the following console generation (Playstation 4 and Xbox One).
Sanders would also become the first player to be on a "Madden" cover twice — though not in the traditional sense. "Madden 2000" featured John Madden on the cover, but a blurred action shot in the background features Sanders during a play.
"Madden NFL 2004"
To this day, no video game athlete has been as broken as Michael Vick in Madden 2004.
Referred to as the “cheat code” by players, Vick’s combination of passing and a 95 speed rating made him nearly unstoppable, and EA was forced to tune the game differently to combat Vick’s versatility.
“One thing we need to stay on top of every year is the ratings ranges, and make sure the game is responding to them the way it should,” former NFL lineman and EA developer Clint Oldenburg told Games Rader in 2016. “Michael Vick was the greatest quarterback in Madden history, because his speed rating as a QB was astronomical, and there was nothing you could do to stop him. For a number of years before I got here, features were added to the game specifically to stop Vick.”
Despite his off-field issues, Vick has remained extremely popular among Falcons fans, and copies of "Madden NFL 2004" are common autograph requests.
"Madden NFL 2009"
For the first time in "Madden" history, the cover athlete needed a new jersey.
Originally featuring Brett Favre with the Packers, the cover got interesting when Favre decided to retire in March 2008. Though not ideal, Favre’s retirement wasn’t a major issue.
Things got much more complicated when Favre was reinstated, however, and immediately traded to the Jets on Aug. 7, 2008. "Madden NFL 2009," with Favre in his Packers uniform, released Aug. 12.
EA scrambled and made an alternative cover with Favre, in a similar pose, with his Jets uniform. It remains a fan favorite cover years later.
Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct.