Madden 24 cover athlete prediction: Five deserving stars

Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles)

Jalen Hurts is coming off the best statistical season of his young career and is one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league. Although he entered last year with just a 74 overall in Madden 23, he quickly proved his doubters wrong.

Hurts compiled a 14-1 regular season record and helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. During the regular season, he threw for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns while rushing for another 760 yards and 13 touchdowns. His success continued in the postseason where he threw for another 579 yards and three touchdowns, while running for 143 yards and five touchdowns.

The Eagles ultimately fell short to the Kansas City Chiefs, but Hurts put on a heck of a show. He threw for 304 yards and one touchdown, while adding another 70 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Had it not been for Patrick Mahomes’ late game heroics capped by a 27-yard-field goal, there’s a good chance Hurts would’ve had his first Super Bowl ring.

Hurts is one of the most dynamic, playmaking quarterbacks in the NFL and a worthy cover athlete for Madden 24. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him enter next year’s game as a top-five rated quarterback in the game.

It will be interesting to see if Hurts can sustain this level of play in the years to come, but for now he’s among the league’s best. And the Eagles certainly have confidence in him as evidenced by the five-year contract extension he signed in the offseason worth $255 million ($180 million guaranteed).