Madden 13: Breaking Down Top Cover Contenders From First 16 Candidates

The Madden cover is a gift and a curse.

Getting that sort of recognition is a symbol that you have made it as a star in the NFL. On the other hand, the Madden cover curse has a long and storied history. From Michael Vick, Ray Lewis and Daunte Culpepper to Peyton Hillis, few players have ever had a successful season the year they don the cover.

But that doesn’t mean a player is going to turn down the chance. The list of potential players is dwindling down, and I’m here to break it down to the top five players that have the best chance of landing the 2013 Madden cover.

Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Killa Cam has a Madden-esque set of skills and is already one of the most exciting and enjoyable players to watch in the game.

Newton has the larger-than-life personality that always bodes well for a Madden cover. The game loves to feature young and rising stars, and Newton is the perfect pick from that perspective.

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Foster wrestled away the award for top running back in the game this season and capped it off with two incredibly strong performances in the playoffs.

He communicates frequently with his fans on Twitter and seems to get being a famous athlete in 2012. With the Texans poised to have another playoff-caliber season, this pick makes plenty of sense.

Tim Tebow, QB, Denver Broncos

This pick might almost be too controversial, but there is no doubt that Tebow would move plenty of copies.

In a way Tebow is the ultimate Madden player in real life. He’ll drop back 20-yards at times to ensure he doesn’t take a sack. He’ll run with the ball and strike defenders head on without worrying about injury, and he can throw the ball deep.

Sounds like how most gamers use their QB in Madden.

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Brady had another incredible season and is way overdue for a cover. He has the cover boy looks, and if there was ever a player to break the Madden curse, it’s Brady.

Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants

The Super Bowl MVP makes the most sense.

He plays in the biggest market in the country and is universally liked by almost all NFL fans that don’t reside in the Northeast (sorry, New England).

There will never be any sort of controversy surrounding him, and he has truly turned into one of the ambassadors of the game.

Nobody is more relevant at the moment than Eli.