Caleb Williams dominates Madden 27 cover odds after a record-setting season. Could he break the Madden curse and become the first Bear on the cover?
Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams really took some major steps in 2025.
He set new career highs in passing yards (3,942) and touchdowns (27), and became the franchise's new single-season passing yards leader. Williams surpassed the previous 1995 record set by former Bears quarterback Erik Kramer.
Williams and the Bears did things the team hasn't done in quite some time. The team made the postseason for the first time since 2020 and won its first division title since 2018.
The Bears reached the Divisional Round and lost to the Los Angeles Rams 20-17 in overtime.
Williams has been busy this offseason trying to secure the trademark rights to his "Iceman" nickname. Former NBA star George Gervin and former MMA fighter Chuck Liddell have challenged the trademark so far.
Amidst the pursuit of the trademark, some good news came Williams' way.
According to Kalshi, Williams is the favorite to become the cover athlete for Madden 27. Kalshi is a prediction market where fans can trade contracts on the outcomes of real-world events.
Williams is the frontrunner at 84%, followed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba (23%) and Myles Garrett (15%). Smith-Njigba just finished with 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Garrett broke Michael Strahan's single-season sack record, finishing with 23 last season.
If the prediction market is correct, this would be a huge achievement. No Bears player has ever been on a Madden cover. The video game series first launched with John Madden on the cover, and has featured a different NFL player each time.
While being on the cover of the game would be great for the Bears, there is a downside. There has been a Madden curse associated with several of the players who have been on it before.
One of the worst victims in recent history was Christian McCaffrey in 2024. He was on the cover of Madden 25, and only played in four games and finished with 202 rushing yards.
The Madden games usually release in August, so we're still a ways away from seeing if Williams can become the first Bears player to grace the cover.
Besides their quarterback, the Bears have been busy this offseason. They needed to replace two key defensive players after Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker departed in free agency.
General Manager Ryan Poles signed safety Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal.
The team also needed a linebacker after Tremaine Edmunds was released. Poles went out and signed former Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush to fill that hole.
Time will tell whether Williams can break the Madden curse. He's definitely defied the odds plenty of times before.
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