Major Betting Favorite Emerges to Be ‘Madden NFL 27' Cover Athlete

One of the NFL's top young quarterbacks is the overwhelming odds-on favorite to be named the cover athlete of Madden NFL 27.

EA Sports traditionally reveals the cover athlete for its annual Madden NFL video game in the first or second week of June. Last year, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was unveiled as the cover athlete on June 2.

According to Kalshi, Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams has a 90 percent chance of being named the Madden NFL 27 cover athlete. Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba is a distant second at seven percent, followed by New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (five percent).

Kalshi is an online prediction market, or financial trading platform, on which users profit by trading (similar to the stock market) on the outcome of events with other users. The percentage figure is based on the trading activity of the users betting on that event.

Not a single player in Chicago Bears history has graced the cover of Madden, so it would be a historic first if Williams earned the honors.

Williams is coming off a breakout sophomore season in which he threw for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He led the Bears to an NFC North division crown and a thrilling Wild Card Round win over the archrival Green Bay Packers, marking Chicago's first playoff win since 2010.

The Bears' season ended with a heartbreaking loss to MVP Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in overtime of the Divisional Round.

Caleb Williams and Bears Open 2026 Season at Carolina Panthers

Chicago hasn't made the postseason in consecutive years since 2005 and 2006.

It won't be easy to return in 2026, given their brutal schedule and the fact that Ben Johnson's club plays in a division with three other playoff contenders. Last year, each of the four NFC North clubs finished above .500.

The Bears kick off their 2026 season in a road clash against Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers on Sept. 13 (1:00 p.m. EST). Difficult home games against the Minnesota Vikings (Sept. 20) and Eagles (Sept. 28) will follow.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 7:59 PM.