Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will be on the cover of the 2017 version of the popular EA Sports Madden NFL video game, it was announced Thursday.
And, yes, his signature Gronk Spike will be prominently featured on the cover.
This is the first year since 2010 that a fan vote did not determine the player who graced the cover of the game, which is usually released each August. Odell Beckham Jr. (Madden ’16) and Richard Sherman (Madden ’15) were on the cover of the last two editions.
EA Sports has had the exclusive NFL video game contract since 2004. The first game in the John Madden Football series dates back to 1988.
Gronkowski has become of the NFL’s most popular players for his ability to dominate games on the field and party like crazy off the field without getting into trouble. Gronkowski has done his share of magazine covers -- wearing more clothes on some than on others -- and receiving this honor probably was only a matter of time.