Favre confirmed for Madden NFL 09 cover

EA Sports confirms the recently retired Green Bay Packers QB will be the cover athlete of its football franchise's 20th installment; first trailer inside.

During his 16 years with the Green Bay Packers, quarterback Brett Favre won numerous accolades and awards. His lengthy resume boasts one Super Bowl championship, two Super Bowl appearances, and nine Pro Bowls. He was named MVP by the Associated Press for three years, was a seven-time All-Pro selection, and was named the 2007 Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

Brett Favre: So agile he even evaded the "Madden Curse."

Favre also holds a series of NFL records: most consecutive starts by an NFL quarterback (253), most career passing touchdowns (442), most career passing yards (61,655), most career pass attempts (8,758), and most career games with at least three touchdowns (63). As many citizens of his adopted home state of Wisconsin painfully know, he also has the dubious distinction of having thrown the most interceptions in NFL history--a whopping 288.

Although Favre retired last month, he will receive one more football-related honor. This evening, Electronic Arts confirmed rumors that Favre will indeed be the cover athlete for Madden NFL 09, the 20th installment in its best-selling football franchise. Unlike NCAA Football 09, which has differing cover athletes for different platforms, Favre's grizzled countenance will appear on the DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation Portable versions of the game. (As previously reported, EA Sports elected to discontinue the Madden series on the PC.)

370 Comments

  • necronaux

    Posted Aug 2, 2008 10:02 am PT

    If he accepts the job in the head office in the Marketing department, will they have to change the cover (and uniform skins) to picture him in a suit?

  • itwiz90

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 7:41 pm PT

    I have Madden 2006 for the PC and I have no complaints accept for the draft and create a player modes.

  • Gladestone1

    Posted May 29, 2008 3:10 am PT

    Eli did not get owned..He turned down the offer ea did ask him..He said hell no cause of the curse...Im glad he did..If the curse does exist snickers..My qb will still be healthy to DEFEND THE CHAMPIONSHIP...Fealt good to say that in caps )...Bring it on New England will own you again this year..Loved Tom brady on his back side every play hahaha..

    Any how bret favre is a icon...He retired also he cant get injured..Safe way to break the curse rofl...First shot balot on the hall of fame, if i ever saw one...When a player like this is gone from the game, we will miss him...Bret had a ton of heart, thats what it takes to win games heart..

    Good luck bret enjoy retirement...Dont work for the rest of your life..Enjoy life to the fullest an rest, well deserved....

  • NBarnesRHD

    Posted May 19, 2008 7:58 pm PT

    Sniper Wolf-
    Uhhh.. It's cause those guys didn't want to be on the cover- You ever hear of the Madden Curse? Whoever is on the cover that season either gets injured or has a bad season. They don't just put whoever is the best player that year on the cover, the players have to agree to it, and if I was a player, I'd NEVER want to be on the cover of Madden, unless I was retired like Brett Favre.

  • Sniper_Wolf25

    Posted May 19, 2008 1:33 pm PT

    ...and anyone else notice that this is the first white guy on the cover of madden?
    i mean, between 2001 and now, peyton manning broke the TD record, won MVP, and won a superbowl
    and tom brady has won like 4 superbowls and broke the TD record, and won the mvp
    seriously, how did ray lewis or vince young deserve it and these guys didnt?

  • Sniper_Wolf25

    Posted May 19, 2008 1:29 pm PT

    lol right
    jay cutler will be just as capable
    hell, he probably had it all last year too, and it was untreated then

  • louzero

    Posted May 3, 2008 10:03 pm PT

    Jay Cutler has type 1 diabties. He wont be playing football for too much longer.

  • Smoky_Hill

    Posted May 1, 2008 2:52 pm PT

    JAY CUTLER should be on the cover!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Next Farve watch and see

  • Rhen_Var

    Posted Apr 30, 2008 9:57 pm PT

    While it's nice he made it the cover what about gameplay? Something Revolutionary!
    We get sports games every year but their way to similar to each other and they get the Recycled Demerit because of that.

  • GodOfSyn

    Posted Apr 30, 2008 10:18 am PT

    Well being from Wisconsin, I love seeing our favorite QB on the cover, he is always such a good guy when seeing him on the local news. He has broken pretty much every record out there, including the dreaded interception record... but this is great to see him on the cover. Hope he comes back this year, he hasn't technically signed the retirement forms yet I hear, so there is a chance, plus he has to go out with a super bowl ring, we were close last year, but they didn't seem to feel like playing when at the home game in the ice bowl. (though I can't blame them, but still...) Cool to see other's who love Favre as much as Wisconsinites do.

  • VenomRitual

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 3:39 pm PT

    great choice for the cover. just wish the game would be as amazing.

  • bluej33

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 3:11 pm PT

    That's cool, I guess...good for Favre. But it'll be a boring game, like always -- maybe if there were some COMPETITION, we'd be getting better football games. But at this point, it's basically just buy a single Madden game and you've got all the football you really need on that console. Bah.

  • McGregor

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 1:56 pm PT

    I'll be a Cowboys fan til the day I die, but favre deserves this. And for the record, madden sucks. I hope the backbreaker (license or engine, not quite sure on that) can get some sort of NFL licensing. If not, I'm at the point where i don't care if i see any NFL players names anymore, just give me some new, decent, gameplay!!

  • Merl57

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 11:59 am PT

    Same game every year because there is one company that has the license

  • HBOMB29

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 9:43 am PT

    BOTTOMLINE HES A HALL OF FAMER why not have him on the cover he had a great year last year and even though i dont like the packers he embodies everything youd want in a football player and a qb so whats the problem with him on the cover, there shouldnt be one.

  • TallicaFan2005

    Posted Apr 28, 2008 9:16 am PT

    How come everyone who knocks Favre here spells his name wrong? I assume none of them know anything about him.

  • ThnkU4thePoison

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 3:31 pm PT

    Thats interesting EA trying to discontinue the game on PC, although I beleive its true ive never even heard of someone play Madden on the pc. And secondly, yeah Farve was a great player, and he was decent last year, but isnt it about which player did outstanding from year to the next? Personally I think Romo should be on the front cover, he or, as much as I hate to say it, Owens, both did astronomical this year, as well as Eli. But thats just me

  • irockout1

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 8:57 am PT

    Awesome,good to see a true legend on the cover.

  • Heromoua

    Posted Apr 27, 2008 5:33 am PT

    wow, huge differece between 04 and up.........

  • trw534

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 11:14 pm PT

    Thats awsome brett farve is great and i am going to buy this game because of him being on the cover... plus i like madden

  • monkeytoes61

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 10:48 pm PT

    MooCowRocks, I think everyone in Wisconsin will buy this game, whether they have the console to play it or not.

  • Vash67

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 7:51 pm PT

    Well, as the over athelete, this will probably mean 2 things. One, he will be a free agent in the game, or 2, he'll be on a legends team by name instead of number like they do for the other legends.

  • SenorStiff11

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 2:05 pm PT

    haha I'm gonna laugh when he slips on a banana peel or something and the madden curse still gets him.

    I think this is an amazing honor for Farve. Kudos.

  • L1qu1dSword

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 1:01 pm PT

    ahhhh bret favre. ill allways remember the way he choked on his last play at lambeu and allowed the Giants to go to the superbowl and win.

  • MooCowRocks

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 12:21 pm PT

    Oh god, I think I'll be buying this JUST because of the cover... As a Wisconsinite and fan of Farve, I need this.

  • Thatsmypunk

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 10:34 am PT

    Not much into the NFL anymore, but always liked Bret Favre. I'll buy this just because he's on the cover.

  • Xomonuchi

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 9:47 am PT

    Go Favre !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! u are the best !

  • necronaux

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 8:47 am PT

    A little late, but well deserved. Will Brett be a playable in the game?

  • rc81589 posted Apr 26, 2008 8:45 am PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    rc81589

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 8:45 am PT (hide)

    Everyone knows Dan Marion is the greatest QB in NFL History

  • shadow8585

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 7:59 am PT

    I usually buy madden games every other year. This will be an exception because of Brett Favre. The greatest QB to ever step foot on the the field.

  • skateboard1587

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 7:23 am PT

    he might deserve it, but how is he going to be in this game? if the game pretends he didn't retire his game will lose its realisticness and totally suck.

  • jay_883

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 4:56 am PT

    The guy is a legend, as a Raider fan I can proudly say Brett Favrrra is my favorite player.

  • FreddieGermany

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 12:21 am PT

    isn't Brett Favre retired???????? I see a collectable

  • matrixhasyou2k4

    Posted Apr 26, 2008 12:05 am PT

    Tom and Eli got owned...and best of all....NO MADDEN CURSE!!

  • C_BozkurT_C

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 11:13 pm PT

    this game will own

  • LynnLuv

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 10:40 pm PT

    Gratz Brett ! Sure you won a Super Bowl, but now you have become immortalized !!!! Your performance was awesome in "there's something about Mary " By the way

  • Killermanjaro

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 10:03 pm PT

    i'm an Eagles fan and I love Donovan McNabb, but Brett Favre is in a league by himself, and he deserves this honour more than anyone else.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 9:57 pm PT

    Good to see some one good on the cover

  • stziggy

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 9:10 pm PT

    Stupid thought: John Madden is a huge fan (no pun intended) of Brett Farve. Any chance that had something to do with Brett being on the cover? Also, I suspect all versions of Madden 09 can be purchased in bargain bins for $9.99 in the Chicago area on release day. Will any self respecting Bears fan purchase this game?

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 8:43 pm PT

    superdance14 Woo hoo! Go Brett! And thank you EA, now just make the game good and I'll buy it.
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    What a tool.......
    YOU GUYS ARE ALL TOOLS HERE. This is why EA does what it does, because you guys with your wallets tell them it's ok. EA can shove it up all your A****s

  • GANGSTA287

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 7:11 pm PT

    no... farve will probably break his leg falling down the stairs... but at least the Packers won't have to worry about it...

  • Jman1234ueyhg posted Apr 25, 2008 7:10 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    Jman1234ueyhg

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 7:10 pm PT (hide)

    There, now all the white fans can stop being babies about there only being black players on covers,lmao.

  • ace666

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 7:00 pm PT

    Brett Favre's age + Madden Curse = Death if Favre decides to play this year...

  • L1qu1dSword posted Apr 25, 2008 6:55 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. login to show)

    L1qu1dSword

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 6:55 pm PT (hide)

    lets face it people. the only reason farve is on this cover is because he retired the same year the 20th anniversery madden game came out. that's it. otherwise tell me exactly what he did this year that was soooo amazing. hope he chokes on his vicodin.

  • majestikk

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 6:52 pm PT

    I guess time will tell if the "Madden Curse" has an effect on a retired player.


    We'll miss you Brett!

  • Dreski83

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 5:49 pm PT

    I suppose this lil extra lump sum from EA helps the retirement fund even more Shame to see #4 move on, but at least it was on a high note... now I wonder will this respect for retired players have any improvement on the overall 09' game...

  • kjaf

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 5:40 pm PT

    Rex we arent saying the packers are getting a QB to replace Favre. They are getting a QB to back up Rodgers in case he gets injured because he is very injury prone.

  • ohjtbehaaave

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 5:30 pm PT

    Get rid of that trailer. All it does is show evidence of how little EA has done from year to year. Talk about minor updates. Every game looked the same afer a while. Great innovating EA.

  • taj7575

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 5:26 pm PT

    awesome. now please make a good madden game

  • ice_radon

    Posted Apr 25, 2008 5:19 pm PT

    Hell yeah! I cant wait! I will buy madden this year since it has Farve on the cover. Plus I have not bought one since 2007 for the PS3!

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