'Sign mine': Chicago Bears react to Caleb Williams being the next Madden cover athlete
Caleb Williams makes Madden history as first Chicago Bears featured on cover | ChicagoNOW
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams is the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27.
Tyrique Stevenson had a thought after he heard Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams would be the next cover of Madden NFL 27.
The player whose locker is in the same room as Stevenson will have plenty of copies sold to NFL fans all around the world. He wants his to be a little more special.
"Sign mine," he said.
The Bears reveled in their teammate and franchise quarterback being named the next Madden cover athlete.
It wasn't just the pride in being his teammate. It's the thought of what's to come in Year 3.
The backstory:
Williams was named the EA Sports Madden NFL 27 cover athlete on Wednesday.
The Bears' third-year quarterback came off a season where he set the franchise's single-season passing record, lifted the Bears to a NFC North title and helped advance the team to the Divisional round of the NFC Playoffs. He did all this with jaw-dropping throws, sometimes in midair or off balance.
Now, he's become the face of football in another way.
"When I received the call from Madden, it was like my childhood dream was coming true. Being on the cover of Madden NFL 27 is a full circle moment," Williams said in a statement. "I grew up playing Madden and imagining what it would be like to be part of the game. I know fans are going to love what’s new in this year’s game, and I’m looking forward to getting my rating up to a 99 by the end of the season."
Williams has been very up front about wanting to be the best in the league. He now shares a distinction that the likes of Tom Brady, Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes all have.
His teammates share in that elation.
"I'm actually honored to be on a team with someone on the Madden cover," Stevenson said.
What they're saying:
Williams' pose on the cover of Madden 27 is similar to the throw he made to Rome Odunze in the fourth quarter of the NFC Wild Card win over the Packers.
On fourth and eight, a gotta-have-it moment, Williams hit Odunze for a gain of 27 yards on a play where he fired his pass while airborne. Neither of his feet were on the turf.
This helped the Bears overcome an 18-point halftime deficit and cap the largest postseason comeback in franchise history. Odunze is going to remind everyone about the other side of that play.
"I'm going to tell my kids like, yeah, he's on the cover but he's throwing me the ball," he said.
Odunze will take a new role as the No. 1 receiver on the Bears' depth chart after the team traded DJ Moore. The two will look to build a rapport that establishes them as one of the best quarterback-wide receiver duos in the league.
"He had a spectacular season, and the cover was dope,' he said. "His little MJ kind of tribute. I know the Chicagoans are happy to see that one, kind of a throwback. It was pretty cool."
For other veterans, it's a chance to remember some of the highs the Bears were allowed to have with Williams as their quarterback in 2025.
"Who doesn't want to be the cover of Madden," Bears guard Jonah Jackson said. "The plays he made last year, the games he was able to help us win, it was a no-brainer and should have been on it."