Caleb Williams made some Chicago Bears history throughout his breakout campaign in 2025. Now, the star quarterback is making franchise history off the field.
Williams will be the cover athlete for “Madden NFL 27,” EA Sports announced Wednesday. He is the first player in Bears history to ever grace the cover of the “Madden” video game.
“When I received the call from Madden, it was like my childhood dream was coming true. Being on the cover of Madden NFL 27 is a full circle moment,” Williams said in a release. “I grew up playing Madden and imagining what it would be like to be part of the game. I know fans are going to love what’s new in this year’s game, and I’m looking forward to getting my rating up to a 99 by the end of the season.”
Williams will don a pair of signature poses on the two covers of “Madden NFL 27.” On the standard cover, Williams replicated his mid-air throw, something that became a highlight for Bears fans as he often improvised his way to success in 2025. For the deluxe cover, Williams did his “Iceman” celebration. Williams’ fingernails were also painted with the NFL logo, the Bears logo, the Flag of Chicago logo and the EA Sports logo for the deluxe cover.
Caleb Williams will show off his “Iceman” pose on the deluxe cover of “Madden NFL 27.” (Photo credit: EA Sports)
The Bears had one of their best seasons in recent memory in 2025, with Williams playing a big role in helping them go 11-6 and win the NFC North. He completed 58.1% of his passes for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 90.1 passer rating. He also ran for 388 yards and three touchdowns, becoming one of the league’s top dual-threat quarterbacks.
But where Williams really separated himself from other quarterbacks was his ability to perform in the clutch. His six fourth-quarter comebacks led all quarterbacks last season. That number doesn’t include the Bears’ comeback victory over the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, as Williams led Chicago to an 18-point comeback win. He threw for 361 yards in that game, which was the Bears’ first postseason win since 2010.
Williams is the first quarterback in three years to make the cover of the “Madden” video game. Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen graced the cover of “Madden NFL 24.” And while some Bears fans might worry about the Madden curse, the quarterbacks who’ve appeared on the cover of the video game over the past 10 years have gone on to make the playoffs that season. Tom Brady actually won MVP when he appeared on the cover of “Madden NFL 18,” and Patrick Mahomes won the Super Bowl the same year he was on the cover of “Madden NFL 20.”
As for the game itself, Williams will have a 90 overall rating. Fans can buy the game on Aug. 13, but EA Play Pro members can start playing the game on Aug. 10. There will be a full game reveal on Thursday.
Here are the past 10 Madden cover athletes before Williams’ addition to the list:
- Madden NFL 16: Odell Beckham Jr.
- Madden NFL 17: Rob Gronkowski
- Madden NFL 18: Tom Brady
- Madden NFL 19: Antonio Brown
- Madden NFL 20: Patrick Mahomes
- Madden NFL 21: Lamar Jackson
- Madden NFL 22: Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes
- Madden NFL 23: John Madden
- Madden NFL 24: Josh Allen
- Madden NFL 25: Christian McCaffrey
- Madden NFL 26: Saquon Barkley
