Getty Bills quarterback Josh Allen looks at Ford Field on November 24, 2022.
EA Sports revealing Josh Allen as Madden 24’s cover star was a momentous occasion not just for the 27-year-old quarterback, who called it “a childhood dream come true,” but because he was the first player in Buffalo Bills‘ history to earn the prestigious honor.
However, EA Sports immediately faced backlash from fans over the glaring mistake in the Deluxe Edition cover, which features Allen jumping into the arms of Bills fans celebrating in the stands. If you zoom in on Allen’s helmet, you’ll see a botched attempt to erase the third horizontal bar across his facemask.
Barstool’s “Bussin With the Boys” podcast tweeted, “Yikes. Multiple people have been pointing out that Madden’s newly released Madden 24 cover with The Boy Josh Allen has a pretty embarrassing error in it… NOT GREAT 😬.”
While the initial cover photo announcement on social media still shows a mangled helmet, EA Sports is working to update the images to feature a clean two-bar facemask that Allen regularly wears on game day.
A corrected version has since been uploaded on EA Sports Madden NFL’s Facebook cover page, subsequent tweets, and to the EA Sports website, where pre-orders of the deluxe edition are being sold. However, if you click on the link to purchase the game for $89.99, the botched photo once again shows up.
Hopefully, EA Sports didn’t already send the initial image to the printers, or else fans can expect to see the poorly edited cover photo on the first wave of Madden 24 orders.
Josh Allen Brushed Off Criticism Against Him as the Madden 24 Cover Star
While Allen is undeniably one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL, last season he completed 63.3% of his passes for 4,238 yards and 35 touchdowns, naysayers on Twitter claimed the $258 million superstar was unworthy of the Madden cover due to his high interceptions (14) and inability to get the Bills past AFC Divisional Playoff round.
The Wyoming alum took the high road while addressing the critics while talking to USA Today Sports host Mackenzie Salmon after the cover was revealed.
“It’s an opportunity that not many people get to do. If you’re not being hated on by 31 other teams, you’re doing something wrong,’ Allen said. “As long as your fanbase loves you, that’s all that matters. This is the world we live in, it’s competitive. We don’t like the opposing teams, opposing fans don’t like us, and vice versa. At the end of the day, it’s about respect. If there weren’t 31 teams that didn’t particularly like me, that’d be worrisome.”
Josh Allen Is Thrilled Bills Mafia Is Featured on the Cover
Facemask error aside, the move to include Bills Mafia on the Deluxe Edition cover was an idea Allen loved. “It definitely feels like some validation for Western New York and Bills Mafia as a whole,” Allen told The Buffalo News. “I’m just happy that they’re kind of getting the recognition.”
WIVB 4 reported the people featured on the cover are legit Bills fans who auditioned for a mysterious casting call in Los Angeles. “On the day of the shoot, the Bills fans selected had to sign NDAs. They also had no clue what the role was for” until the Madden 24 cover was announced last week, the outlet reported. Meeting Allen was, of course, a major highlight.
In an interview with Complex, Allen gushed over what it’s like to play in front of such dedicated fans at Highmark Stadium.
“It’s freaking awesome. They love football almost as much as I love football,” Allen said. “And the energy, the buzz, the vibe that you get when you’re here, even driving into to game day, right, the tailgates and the families and friends that are just bonding over throwing the football and hanging out by a fire or cooking stuff up. They are so passionate about football and it’s so awesome to play for a fan base that cares as much as they do.
“They hurt when we hurt. They celebrate when we celebrate. It’s such a, such a cool vibe and it’s a very different and unique experience I think than um, maybe any other fan base in football, maybe in all sports combined.”
