Hall of Famer Michael Vick sends special message to Saquon Barkley for gracing EA Sports Madden 26 cover

During his playing days, Norfolk State head coach Michael Vick was not only a Madden cover athlete but also one of the most legendary characters in the game's history.

As Saquon Barkley was announced as the cover athlete for Madden 26, the former Atlanta Falcons quarterback posted a congratulatory message on Instagram on Monday.

"Congratulations on being the 2026 Madden cover athlete. I know this is a special moment for you. Me, being a Madden cover athlete myself. I know what it really means to grace the cover.

"Congrats to your teammates as well, because without them, this don't happen. So you all can share this together. Keep going you. Keep bleeding green. Keep believing in yourself. Keep trusting the process," Michael Vick said.

Barkley became the cover athlete after leading the NFL in rushing last season, with 2,005 rushing yards and 13 scores on the ground. He also ran for over 100 yards in each of the Philadelphia Eagles' playoff games, including a 205-yard showing in the divisional round against the Los Angeles Rams.

Even though Barkley was mostly bottled up in the Super Bowl, he was one of the most important players in the Eagles' championship run

Michael Vick took the Norfolk State head coaching position in December. He will look to follow in Coach Prime's footsteps, taking over an HBCU without any previous head coaching experience.

Vick played 13 seasons in the NFL, passing for 22,464 yards, 133 touchdowns and 88 interceptions. He also ran for 6,109 yards and 36 scores. He is mostly remembered for his time with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles.

Michael Vick is a memorable video game character

Michael Vick was the cover athlete in Madden 2004. While the signal caller had only a 95 overall rating, he was considered a "cheat code". The mix of speed, elusiveness, arm strength and accuracy made Vick nearly unstoppable.

Because of his speed and elusiveness on the field in the 2002 season, Vick became the first quarterback in the video game's history to have a speed rating over 89. He was listed at 95 in speed.

On the football field, the signal caller fell victim to the "Madden curse" in the 2003 season (Madden is a year ahead on its titles). Vick suffered a broken fibula in a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens, which limited him to only four starts, passing for 585 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He also ran for 255 yards and a score.