Saquon Barkley Leaps Onto Madden NFL 26 Cover in Nike LeBron Cleats

On Monday, EA Sports announced that Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley will be on the Madden NFL 26 cover. It is no surprise, given that Barkley's spectacular reverse hurdle was considered the best play of the NFL season.

Football fans immediately knew they witnessed something special as soon as the play went viral last November. That included NBA All-Star LeBron James, who posted on social media, "Must be the shoes!!"

The highlight play stood out to James (and sneakerheads) because Barkley wore the Nike LeBron 4 Menace 3 cleats in a metallic silver and black colorway. Now, the kicks will forever be immortalized on the cover of Madden NFL 26.

James and Nike have teamed up on 22 signature basketball shoes and have begun redesigning earlier models for the football field. Barkley has worn several styles from the Nike LeBron football cleat line.

"Starring on the cover of Madden NFL 26 and being named to the Madden NFL ''99 Club' are both dreams come true," said Barkley.

"I'm grateful to my teammates, coaches, and Eagles fans for their support, and I can't wait to hit the field again to give Madden players more highlight-reel moments in Madden NFL 26."

Gamers can pre-order the Madden NFL 26 Deluxe Edition now to unlock a host of benefits, including 3-day early access, 4600 Madden Points, and a range of amazing extras.

Pre-ordering the EA SPORTS™ MVP Bundle for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S gets fans deluxe editions of EA SPORTS™ College Football 26 and Madden NFL 26, complete with 3-day early access and a suite of rewards for both games.

Meanwhile, athletes and fans can expect more Nike LeBron football cleats in the upcoming season. It is a safe bet to assume Barkley will continue to rock the iconic kicks on the gridiron.

Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Kicks On SI for all your footwear news from the NFL and beyond.

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