Lamar Jackson's rise to stardom in the NFL is beginning to materialize.
The Baltimore Ravens quarterback said Tuesday he will be on the cover of the new Madden 21 video game, which is set to be released in August.
"It's always been a dream of mine since I was a little kid," Jackson said in a live interview on the team's Facebook page. "Since I first started playing Madden. It's dope. (I've) had every Madden, so for me to be on the front of it that's a dream come true. That's an accomplishment for the kids around here where I'm from and stuff like that. It's pretty cool."
EA Sports has yet to officially announce Jackson as their cover star, but the NFL's reigning MVP admitted it in the interview just after talking about his predecessor in both achievements.
"I'd love to follow that path right there -- MVP to the Super Bowl," Jackson said of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. "That would be a great path to follow. I hope it happens."
Last season, Mahomes was the first to grace the cover of Madden and win the Super Bowl, which broke the dreaded "Madden Curse" that continuously gained momentum since NFL players were featured on the cover in the early 2000s.
"I'm not worried about a curse," Jackson said. "Patrick Mahomes was on the front and he won (Super Bowl) MVP, so I hope that's a curse."
Jackson enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, leading the Ravens to a league-best 14-2 record and an AFC North title. Jackson, who was league MVP and a first-team All-Pro in his second season, threw 36 touchdowns for a total of 3,127 yards and rushed for 1,206 yards and seven more scores. The 23-year-old was the first QB to surpass the 1,000-yard rushing mark since Michael Vick, who graced the cover of Madden in 2004.
