Since going No. 1 overall to the Chicago Bears in 2024, Caleb Williams has been a walking highlight reel in the NFL. Now, the dynamic playmaker is bringing that signature flair to the virtual world as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27.
Colin Cowherd believes Williams earning the place as the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27 shows how unique a talent he truly is. At 24, Williams is the third-youngest player to land the cover, behind only Michael Vick (2004) and Lamar Jackson, who was 23 after his unanimous NFL MVP season in 2019.
“He’s been given the cover of Madden for the Chicago Bears and is the first to ever be awarded that title,” Cowherd said. “I still think Caleb [Williams] is exclusive and uncommon. He’s nonetheless underrated as a No. 1 decide at quarterback.”
Cowherd has an attention-grabbing idea on why Williams stays nationally underrated, even after incomes the uncommon honor of turning into the quilt athlete.
“Right here’s my idea on it,” Cowherd stated. “For those who go have a look at No. 1 quarterbacks: Trevor Lawrence, Andrew Luck, Joe Burrow, Matt Stafford, Peyton Manning, they’re very conventional and Caleb’s not.”
Cowherd believes Williams challenges the mould of what followers usually count on from a franchise quarterback. His persona, type and improvisational playmaking capability have made him one of many extra polarizing younger stars within the league.
“From portray the fingernails to solely [being] 6-foot-1, he’s unbelievable off-platform,” Cowherd stated. “Generally I believe he’s higher off the platform than within the pocket. He was the primary NIL star, first Gen Z quarterback.”
The argument facilities on the concept that Williams’ individuality is commonly considered in another way in sports activities than in different types of leisure, the place uniqueness is extra overtly embraced.
“He’s a non-traditional quarterback and I believe in music, arts or films that distinctive is well known,” Cowherd stated. “Pink Floyd celebrated, the Beatles celebrated, Stanley Kubrick, the director, celebrated. That’s not how sports activities work. Sports activities are ordered with standings and wins.”
Williams is coming off a 12-5 season during which he threw 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions whereas main the Bears to seven fourth-quarter or time beyond regulation victories. Nonetheless, some skepticism stays given his 60.3 profession completion share and a 5-12 file in his rookie yr.
Cowherd believes that no matter how profitable Williams turns into, quarterback standing in at the moment’s sport is finally outlined by wins and staff success.
“I believe within the business of sports activities, to be completely different, you higher achieve success as a result of individuals are going to push again,” Cowherd stated. “[If] you get a Tremendous Bowl, you get a parade; that’s about as loopy as we get.”
Nonetheless, Cowherd believes that Williams’ distinctive type of play places him in uncommon firm among the many league’s most gifted quarterbacks. In actual fact, he even locations him in the identical class as Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen.
“I believe this season and I stated this on the finish of final yr that I’m unsure outdoors of Josh Allen if anyone has his expertise within the NFL taking part in the place,” Cowherd stated. “I believe two quarterbacks on this league have extra horsepower than each different quarterback. Allen and Caleb.”
The league has a status for taking longer to totally admire quarterbacks who don’t match the standard mould. Cowherd didn’t maintain again his reward, going as far as to put Williams in a uncommon class as a top-five quarterback within the sport.
“I don’t suppose [Patrick] Mahomes has fairly that degree of horsepower, so I do suppose proper now [Caleb] is a top-five quarterback within the league, however he’s so completely different. He had a nasty first yr, and since he performs a non-traditional type of quarterback, we wrestle with that in sports activities.”
