Who is Saquon Barkley, the athlete featured on the Madden NFL 26 cover and inducted into the Madden 99 Club?

Saquon Barkley, the Philadelphia Eagles running back's dream has finally come true as he will be featured on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and has been named to the Madden 99 Club, as per a report.

Saquon Barkley’s Dream Comes True

Barkley said, "Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL '99 Club' are both dreams come true," quoted ESPN. He added, "I'm grateful to my teammates, coaches and Eagles fans for their support, and I can't wait to hit the field again to give Madden players more highlight-reel moments in Madden NFL 26," as quoted by ESPN report.

According to the ESPN report, Barkley is the Eagles' first Madden 99 Club member in two decades, he joins safety Brian Dawkins, who was the Madden 04 and kicker David Akers, who was the Madden 06.

He is the reigning Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year and is performing one of the best seasons for a running back in NFL history as Barkley rushed for 2,504 yards over the regular season and the postseason, breaking the single-season record, reported ESPN.

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The Reverse Hurdle That Stunned the NFL

Barkley's move iconic move was the innovative reverse hurdle he pulled off in early November against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to the report.

The vice president of franchise strategy and marketing for EA Sports Madden NFL, Evan Dexter said, "Saquon's reverse hurdle was one of the rare, defining moments in NFL history that would have once been described as 'something out of a video game,'" quoted ESPN.

Dexter also highlighted that, "Now, it's a display of the athleticism and creativity of one of football's most electrifying athletes. Madden NFL 26 will deliver the most real NFL experience we've ever built so that players can experience more of the unreal moments that Saquon put on display all season long. The full reveal is this Wednesday -- don't miss what's next," as quoted in the report.

FAQs

Has any Eagles player been in the 99 Club before?
Yes, but not in a long time. Brian Dawkins (Madden 04) and David Akers (Madden 06) were the last. Barkley is the first offensive Eagle to make it.

How did Barkley react to the Madden cover?
He called it a dream come true and thanked his teammates, coaches, and fans, as per ESPN report.