Cam Newton hasn’t exactly been on the best terms with the Madden franchise—the hugely popular football video game developed by EA. And honestly, it’s not hard to see why.
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Despite his dominance in the NFL from the early 2010s through the later part of the decade, Newton was never featured on the cover. Adding to the sting? Chad Johnson, also a former NFLer, has been involved with the franchise in various ways. Newton, therefore, wonders—why not him too?
It seems some of that lingering tension might finally play out the only way it should… over a game of Madden, of course. Cam recently challenged the former wideout to a 1-on-1 matchup. “Let’s play for a platform takeover,” Newton said via a Twitter video.
“Mr. Chad Johnson, Chad Ochocinco, I got a good bet for you… We play a best 2 out of 3 Madden match, with 85 or less teams, and the loser gets to sacrifice their platform for a night,” Newton added.
It’s a daring challenge if Johnson accepts. His would-be opponent streams Madden regularly and is a highly competitive player online. He uses his knowledge he learned from the game in real life as a quarterback to dissect defenses, and it’s fun to watch.
ŁĖT§.₽ŁÄ¥.FØR.Ä.₽ŁÄTFØRM.TÄKĖØVĖR‼️
ÎF @ochocinco ßĖÄT§ MĖ ÎÑ Ä ßĖ§T ØF 3 GÄMĖ ØF MÄDDĖÑ, HĖ ÄÑD @ShannonSharpe čáñ DØ Ä TÄKĖØVĖR øf @4thand1show… ßÜT ₩HĖÑ Î ₩ÎÑ, mē áñd ₽ĖGG¥ tákīñg øvēr @NightcapShow_ ‼️#ČÄMvšØČHØīñMÄDDĖÑ
-1ØVĖ pic.twitter.com/HyjRI8fdek— Cam Newton (@CameronNewton) June 14, 2025
Furthermore, it would be funny to see Newton hosting Nightcap, or Ocho hosting 4th&1. Well, luckily for us, Johnson seems to be all in for the challenge, according to his Instagram story.
“BET!!!!!!!” Johnson wrote, reposting Cam’s challenge video.
Ocho accepts Cam’s challenge pic.twitter.com/X7jKaHiG8i
— Semper (@Semper152892) June 14, 2025
Johnson has been partnered with EA Sports since 2020, making rating adjustments to Madden games. Most notably, after a story surfaced claiming the New York Jets declined a trade for Jerry Jeudy due to his low Madden rating, Johnson promised the Browns wideout he’d bump him higher if he finished the season strong.
But Newton doesn’t think Johnson should have the authority to make those kinds of decisions, as he questions his expertise in the game. After hearing Ocho give his rating for Travis Hunter, Newton had a few things to say about the former NFL wideout.
“Who gives Chad Ochocinco the right to give Madden rankings?” Newton questioned on his podcast, 4th&1. “He’s not good at Madden. Has anybody seen Chad Ochocinco play Madden… Listen, man, he plays FIFA.”
With that said, get ready for a possible YouTube gameplay stream featuring a showdown between the two. It should be a great watch—the Madden ratings adjuster vs. the former player who’s a Madden master. Who do you think will win?
We tend to side with Newton. As much as Johnson is partnered with and involved in the game, it seems like Cam plays it a lot more. But you never know—maybe Johnson has been harboring some serious Madden skills all these years without showing them off to the world.
