EA Sports named Steelers WR Antonio Brown the cover athlete for "Madden NFL 19," making him the "first Steeler to appear on the cover since Troy Polamalu shared it with Larry Fitzgerald" in '10, according to Sean Gentille of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Brown is also the "first player ever" to appear on the cover "minus his helmet." He has done an "impressive job building his own personal brand" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/19). ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler noted the cover features a "helmetless and smiling Brown, which is a departure from the action shots on recent Madden covers." It is a "fitting tribute to Brown, who is constantly smiling on and off the field." Brown has "matched elite production on the field" with "marketing appeal." Brown's jersey is "one of the league's top sellers." He has "endorsed products for AT&T/DirecTV, Campbell's Soup, Pepsi, Nike, NFL Sunday Ticket and more." EA Sports Senior Dir of Global Brand Management Joshua Rabenovets said, "His game is hot, he's got a ton of personality on and off the field. He was an easy choice for the Madden NFL 19 cover" (ESPN.com, 7/18).
