EA has announced New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski as the cover star of the Madden NFL 17 video game.
In what’s become an annual event almost as big as the game itself, EA revealed the cover art alongside the release date for the game.
Madden NFL 17 will be released on Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 on August 23. EA Access members will get to play the game first.
The 26-year-old Gronkowski who’s as famous for his off-field partying as his ability to catch touchdown passes from Tom Brady, succeeds Odell Beckham Jnr on the cover of the flagship gridiron title.
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Gronk, depicted in the artwork with performing his patented ‘spike’ celebration, is the first Patriots player to appear on the cover.
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Gronkowski will, of course, also hope to avoid the so-called Madden curse, which has invariably struck down the game’s cover stars over the years.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.