Former Wyoming Cowboys quarterback Josh Allen will be on the cover of "Madden NFL 24," video game maker Electronic Arts announced Wednesday.
The Buffalo Bills QB will be the first player from that franchise to receive the honor.
“A childhood dream come true,” Allen tweeted in response to the announcement.
The cover of the video game is reserved for the biggest stars in the game, and he joins players like Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Barry Sanders and John Madden himself.
“As a fan of 'Madden NFL' since childhood, I’m honored to be the first Buffalo Bills player on the cover, and I wouldn’t have gotten here without the support of my team and Bills Mafia,” Allen said in a statement.
"I don't know if I would have believed you at that point, if you were to tell me in high school. It's so surreal. Madden has such a special place in my heart,” he later told ESPN.
Dave Walsh, the former longtime voice of the Wyoming Cowboys and a columnist for Cowboy State Daily, said it was a well-deserved honor.
“I’m excited to hear that as Josh has done great things in the NFL,” Walsh said. “Everyone is looking to Josh and the Bills this year, so it couldn’t have come at a better time.”
Walsh is dead-on about expectations for Buffalo this season. Oddsmakers give the Bills +900 odds to win the Super Bowl in 2024, the third-highest odds for any team and only behind the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
“Madden 24” will be released on Aug. 18.
“Madden NFL” covers since 2000
- 2000: John Madden
- 2001: Eddie George
- 2002: Dante Culpepper
- 2003: Marshall Faulk
- 2004: Michael Vick
- 2005: Ray Lewis
- 2006: Donovan McNabb
- 2007: Shaun Alexander
- 2008: Vince Young
- 2009: Brett Favre
- 2010: Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald
- 2011: Drew Brees
- 2012: Peyton Hillis
- 2013: Calvin Johnson
- 2014: Adrian Peterson, Barry Sanders
- 2015: Richard Sherman
- 2016: Odell Beckham Jr.
- 2017: Rob Gronkowski
- 2018: Tom Brady
- 2019: Antonio Brown
- 2020: Patrick Mahomes
- 2021: Lamar Jackson
- 2022: Brady, Mahomes
- 2023: John Madden
- 2024: Josh Allen
Jimmy Orr can be reached at jimmy@cowboystatedaily.com.
