CHICAGO — Caleb Williams said the concept for his Madden NFL 27 cover was intended as a tribute to Michael Jordan, with the Bears quarterback asking EA Sports to include the Chicago skyline behind his signature jump pass. EA Sports had selected Williams’ leap-and-throw motion for one of two covers, a play best remembered from his fourth-down completion in the Bears’ come-from-behind win over the Packers in the 2025 wild-card round, Williams said Thursday evening at the EA Sports season-opening event at Chicago’s Navy Pier.
Williams said the design nods to the original 1985 Air Jordan campaign, which featured Jordan midair in the Jumpman pose against a setting sun and city skyscrapers. Jordan won six championships with the Bulls between 1991 and 1998, and Williams said he hopes to achieve comparable success with the Bears.
A meeting between Williams and Jordan is “in the works,” Williams said, with the two trying to sync schedules for a first-time meeting. Williams described the cover idea as a way to “bring retro back” and to “pay respect” to Jordan and his impact in Chicago.
Williams is the first Bears player to land the Madden cover, a milestone he called “another steppingstone” in his pursuit of long-term goals. After watching the Madden NFL 27 trailer, which also featured actor Vince Vaughn, Williams declared he wants to earn the cover again — a repeat that, per EA Sports’ presentation, has been achieved only by Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady. When a fan at the event asked whether he would break the so-called “Madden curse,” Williams pointed to his cover image and replied, “Damn right.”
Entering his third season after being the 2024 No. 1 pick, Williams arrives off an 11-win campaign that included Chicago’s first playoff victory in 15 years. He said he feels prepared for the heightened scrutiny of a big market, noting he grew up in Washington, D.C., played in Los Angeles and now plays in Chicago, and that those experiences have “groomed” him for the attention that accompanies high-level success.
