‘Madden 24’ Coverboy Josh Allen Sparks Debate – Should It Have Been Justin Jefferson?

It has been a few weeks since June 7, 2023, since the Buffalo Bills star starting quarterback Josh Allen was revealed as this year’s cover athlete for Madden NFL 24. Of course, the announcement gave gamers and sports fans alike to debate the pros and cons of the game, and its cover, once again. The buzz is still going strong with social media being fed snippets of gameplay and other forms of visual media.

“A childhood dream come true,” tweeted Allen.

In its past iterations, the game formally known as John Madden Football (from 1988-1993) tended to lean towards stars at the very top of their game whether it is because they gained insane stats, had a recognizable face or they were a staple in their team’s success.

For better or worse, many worthy candidates had the stock saved up to have easily received the call. This includes Minnesota Viking star wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who had a lot of upsides as a cover contender including the current career record for the most receiving yards per game at 96.5, Offensive Player of the Year for 2022 and three pro bowl selections. Some felt as though Jefferson’s stats and relatability to a younger audience should have propelled him onto the cover.

Despite this choice, (that would likely make the football world buzz no matter who it picked), there are a lot of curious things within.

1. The cover featured a heavily prominent cameo of the aptly named Bills Mafia along with Allen who is the team’s first player to appear on the cover.
2. Allen also makes this the fourth year out of the five quarterbacks to make the cover.
3. When compared to many other stars in the league, such as Jefferson, Allen has a bit more under the stat sheet at his position.

In this case, trends are both holding steady and somehow breaking at the same time. Sometimes, even the underdog gets the win. The effects of this year’s cover are unknown; however, the title is sure to be snatched up by the fans who enjoy it regardless. This has always been true, even if their favorite player isn’t on it. The difference this year is that Allen and the Buffalo fanbase can enjoy the game a little extra this year. As for next year, we will all be eagerly waiting once again for the announcement.

Until then, game on.