The further away he’s gotten from Charlotte, the more Christian McCaffrey has become a household name.
As announced on Tuesday morning, the former Carolina Panthers running back has been chosen as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 25.
McCaffrey posted the following after the reveal:
Lifelong Dream Come True!🙏🏼 #Madden25 Coverhttps://t.co/Rhc2uvstc9@49ers | #EAthlete | @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/VL4UhohdZp
— Christian McCaffrey (@CMC_22) June 11, 2024
The newly-turned 28-year-old is fresh off the most decorated season of his NFL tenure. McCaffrey—who amassed a league- and career-high 1,459 rushing yards, 564 receiving yards and 21 total touchdowns—was named the Offensive Player of the Year, a first-team All-Pro and the second runner-up for the Most Valuable Player award in 2023.
Carolina, of course, traded McCaffrey to San Francisco in the middle of the 2022 campaign. In exchange for the former eighth overall pick, the Panthers reeled in second-, third- and fourth-round selections for 2023 and a fifth-rounder for 2024.
And in case you need a refresher, here’s how that haul turned out:
- 2023 61st overall pick: Traded to the Chicago Bears for the rights to the first overall pick (quarterback Bryce Young)
- 2023 93rd overall pick: Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the rights to the 80th overall pick (linebacker DJ Johnson)
- 2023 132nd overall pick: Traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the rights to the 80th overall pick (linebacker DJ Johnson)
- 2024 166th overall pick: Traded to the New York Giants with linebacker Brian Burns for the rights to the 39th and 141st overall picks and a 2025 conditional fifth-round pick
To add insult to insult, the Panthers could very well be the lowest-rated team in the upcoming video game.
