After making his debut on the big stage with his first Super Bowl appearance in February, Christian McCaffrey has notched another major accolade. On Tuesday, the San Francisco 49ers running back was named the cover star for "Madden NFL 25."
The honor comes after McCaffrey won Offensive Player of the Year for a stellar season where he led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards, 339 total touches, 2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns. He also tied the league record by scoring in 17 straight games. Last week, the NFC champions awarded him with a reported two-year extension worth about $36 million.
“To be on the cover of Madden NFL is a career achievement and an honor I share with all of my teammates, coaches and 49er Faithful who have helped make it possible,” McCaffrey, who was traded to San Francisco from the Carolina Panthers in 2022, said in a statement. “I'm pumped to get back on the field this year to give Madden players more reasons to keep scoring touchdowns with me in Madden NFL 25.”
The former first-round draft pick, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Friday, was 23 when he captured the coveted 99 Madden rating during the 2019 season as a member of the Panthers. He was the youngest player to achieve the mark and has received the rating multiple times since.
Video games hold a special place in McCaffrey's heart. He said in a promotional video for the NFL that being named the cover star is a "dream come true" after he grew up playing the game. In 2022, he started The Logan Project to donate video games to children battling illness in hospitals. The foundation is named after Logan Hale, a young fan who died of cancer a year prior. Hale wanted to donate video games to other sick children after he passed away.
"Here was a kid who didn't put limitations on himself and even though was going through one of the most difficult things a human being let alone a kid could go through, maintained a positive attitude," the All-Pro player said. "He still saw a need in the world to make a difference in other kids lives and it's amazing how a kid that young could leave such an imprint on the world.
"I can guarantee you that I'm a much bigger fan of his than he was of me. So I'm very thankful for this opportunity to continue to live out his legacy."
"Madden NFL 25" will be released in a standard and deluxe edition for PlayStation, XBox and PC on August 16.
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