New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees is Madden NFL 11′s cover athlete

You will forgive New Orleans Saints fans if they are extremely concerned about today’s announcement that star quarterback Drew Brees will grace the cover of Madden NFL 2011.

True, it is an honor to be asked to represent the league in this fashion. However, the athlete on the cover of the world’s bestselling football game often falls victim to one of pro sports’ most consistent cover jinxes.

EA Sports has changed it up in the past couple of years after it offered star running back LaDainian Tomlinson cover and he declined. LT never said publicly that his decision had anything to do with the curse, and there were reports he was more concerned about the money he was offered than any jinx. Madden 09 attempted to play it safe and picked then-retired quarterback Brett Favre. Favre went on to un-retire for the first of many times and found the Green Bay Packers were no longer interested in his services.

In Madden 2010, EA Sports picked two cover athletes for the first time. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had a late season injury that didn’t even cost him playoff time, while Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Troy Polamalu got injured in the season’s first game and never really regained championship form.

For the Madden 11 cover, EA Sports asked fans to vote for the cover athlete. That may have made Brees a shoo-in. The Saints had an incredible season and on the post-Super Bowl media tour, Brees only increased his reputation as both a great player as well as a likable (and marketable) guy.

Madden NFL 11 will be available August 10, 2010, for pretty much every game system in existence.

Read [Joystiq] Also Read [Playstatic]