Is Saquon Barkley Paid for Being the Madden 26 Cover Star?

Saquon Barkley had a dream year in 2024. He moved from a franchise stuck in the NFL doldrums to one of its best, and got paid handsomely for it. Barkley also became just the ninth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. He picked up an Offensive Player of the Year award and a Super Bowl ring to boot. But the honors keep coming, even off the field.

The Eagles running back was recently revealed as the cover athlete for EA Sports’ Madden 26 video game. The good people at EA Sports chose his unprecedented backwards hurdle over Jacksonville Jaguars DB Jarrian Jones as the image for the cover. It’s one of the most unique covers in recent memory.

But the question is, does Barkley get paid for this? Or is it a purely ceremonial ‘honor’?

Well, the short answer is — no. Barkley does not get a dime up front. As a matter of fact, no Madden cover athlete does, despite facing the infamous Madden Curse when featured on the cover.

The use of NFL players’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) is managed by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

Instead of individual players making deals, the NFLPA does the licensing agreement. In this case, with EA Sports, which produces the game and selects the cover athlete.

By signing a group licensing agreement (GLA) with the NFLPA, NFL players are included in their many licensing deals. These are done through NFL Players Inc., the “licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA,” per their website.

“Licensing is an important and lucrative component of being a celebrity athlete. Every fan wants to have a jersey, share playing cards with friends or post a Fathead in the home office. And it’s your dream to see fans rocking your gear and have your own bobblehead. NFL Players Inc., the licensing and marketing arm of the NFLPA, works to make this dream a reality.”

Any company that wants to use 6+ NFL players must sign a licensing agreement through the NFLPA. The NFLPA pays the players participating via “quarterly premium royalty payments and annual equal-share royalty payments.”

So, in the end, Barkley doesn’t get paid directly for his appearance on the cover of the video game, the biggest piece of marketing for the product. But he does get paid for it down the line. It just goes through the NFLPA first.

While Barkley is a superstar getting his due, the NFLPA also tries to push all of its members to potential licensees. The union sends an annual “Rising Stars List” to its partners. This is meant to encourage them to “bring visibility to players who are underrepresented.” 

These players wouldn’t have appeared on the Top 50 Players Sale List, which ranks those whose licensed products have sold the most over a specific period. Instead, the “Rising Stars” are selected based on their on-field performance from the previous year.