Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson says he is the Madden NFL 21 cover athlete

What you need to know

• Baltimore Ravens quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson will be on the cover of Madden NFL 21.
• Jackson revealed the news himself during a Zoom call with reporters on April 21.
• He acknowledged the so-called "Madden Curse" but doesn't seem too fazed by it.

If one good quarterback deserves another — or in this case, areally good quarterback — then Madden NFL 21 will be in good hands. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, will take the baton from Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes and appear on the Madden cover when the newest edition of the game arrives later this year.

Jackson's on-field exploits certainly made him a worthy choice. In just his second year in the NFL and first season as a full-time starter, the Louisville product led the league in passing touchdowns and set a new single-season record for quarterbacks by rushing for 1,206 yards. His dual-threat dynamicism made Jackson a staple of highlight videos, or just the kind of player EA Sports would want to feature.

While the company generally announces the cover athlete, it was Jackson himself who broke the news during a Zoom call with the media.

Jackson also responded to a question about the "Madden Curse" — where previous cover athletes have often fallen victim to injury or poor performance the next season — by pointing out that Mahomes was "cursed" all the way to a championship this year.

It's still not clear exactly when we'll see Jackson's face on the cover of Madden NFL 21, as EA has yet to reveal a release date. However, with the NFL Draft just days away and the eyes of the sports world almost completely focused on the NFL with all other sports on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, it's possible we'll know more before the end of the week.