Christian McCaffrey says being on "Madden" cover is a dream come true

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is the cover athlete for the new "Madden NFL 25" video game.

McCaffrey, a Colorado native, is coming off a season where he won Offensive Player of the Year. He rushed for 1,459 yards, averaging 5.4 yards a carry and scored 14 touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven touchdowns.

He reacted to the announcement by EA Sports on X Tuesday morning saying it was a "lifelong dream come true." 

McCaffrey told ESPN he has long been a fan of the video game, playing with his brothers while growing up in the Denver suburb of Highlands Ranch and throwing the ball to the digital version of their father, former Broncos receiver Ed McCaffrey. Christian McCaffrey, who was born in Castle Rock, Colorado, was a star player at Valor Christian High School.

"It's a call I honestly never thought I would get," McCaffrey told ESPN about receiving the news from his agent. "I've always envisioned playing in the league and hopefully having success in the league, but it's just something that I never thought would happen to me, so it was definitely a surprising call and one that I'll always remember."

Madden fans can preorder the game, which comes out on Aug. 16.  

Earlier this month, McCaffrey signed a two-year and $38 million extension to stay with the Niners through the 2027 season.