EA Sports announced this morning that the 2019 variant of its annual football simulation juggernaut, Madden, features none other than Antonio Brown on the cover.
It's ... kind of a big deal. Just ask Snoop Dogg.
Congrats to my neffew @AB84 #Madden19 Cover Athlete! Black n Yellow looks good on you ?? @EAMaddenNFL !!! pic.twitter.com/SPTjXhU8fe
— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) July 18, 2018
Steelers fans wanting a copy of the game with their favorite wide receiver will have to settle on the base version of the game, however. The 'Hall of Fame Edition' which grants buyers three days of early access and a host of goodies for the Madden Ultimate Team game mode features Terrell Owens on its cover. The two versions retail for $60 and $80 respectively.
The Madden series started in 1988 as 'John Madden Football' with John Madden himself on the cover, and he remained the cover star until 2001 when Eddie George became the featured footballer.
Since that transition to players, only one Steeler has appeared on the cover, the only time a player shared the spotlight as well, when Troy Polamalu and Larry Fitzgerald were on display following Super Bowl XLIII.
So, for the first time in Madden gaming history, a player from the only NFL franchise to amass six Super Bowl trophies will stand alone on the cover — a distinction the Browns and Peyton Hillis can no longer hold above their rivals.
Madden 17 and Madden 18 both featured Patriots in Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady respectively. Unlike Brown and Owens this year, Brady was the cover athlete for both the base game and the "G.O.A.T." edition. The duo joined George / Vince Young, Calvin Johnson / Barry Sanders and Shaun Alexander / Richard Sherman to become the fourth set of players from the same team.
Now that Brown has joined the mix, he and Polamalu make the Steelers the fifth team to be represented by multiple players.
Additional cover stars include Dante Culpepper, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Donovan McNabb, Brett Favre, Drew Brees and Odell Beckham Jr.
Other notable Pittsburgh athletes to be featured on video game covers include Mario Lemieux (EA NHL 2002), Andrew McCutchen (MLB 13 The Show) and Kordell Stewart (NFL Blitz). Fitzgerald appeared on NCAA Football 2006 and joined Alexander as the only athletes to appear on the cover of the NCAA and Madden variants. West Virginia's Owen Schmitt also appeared on the Playstation Portable cover of NCAA Football 09.