Ahead of Madden 25 releasing this upcoming summer, NFL Hall of Fame member Barry Sanders provided a grim update for football fans.
Ironically, in 2013, Detroit Lions legend Barry Sanders was the Madden 25 cover athlete celebrating the sports-sim franchise’s 25th anniversary. Now, just a few months ahead of the 2024 iteration of Madden 25, Sanders confirmed that he is discontinuing his relationship with the brand and its products.
Accompanied by a video montage of Madden 99 gameplay starring the legendary running back, Sanders left fans in disbelief with a statement: “I apologize for those that were expecting me in the games.” Sanders did not provide a reason for no longer wanting to be involved, but he won’t be in Madden titles moving forward. Over the years, EA has released several different versions of the running back in the Ultimate Team game mode, and Sanders is usually one of the best cards in the game mode.
EA has received criticism for its handling of legends in Madden. Players are able to step into the shoes of all-time great icons in the online game mode Ultimate Team, but they aren’t available in offline game modes. So even if users want to have legends in Franchise mode or custom games against their friends, that’s not an option. The Madden devs haven’t revealed plans for the upcoming installment, but even if EA has a change of heart, the title will be missing one of the greatest football players of all time.
