The Madden NFL 21 trailer was released Tuesday, giving fans a taste of what to expect for the game that’s set to become available on Aug. 25. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is the cover athlete and an easy choice after a sensational second year in the league.

Jackson had a historic 2019 campaign, putting up stats that the NFL had never seen. He set a quarterback record with 1,206 rushing yards to go along with seven rushing touchdowns and a league-high 6.9 yards per attempt.

Baltimore led the NFL with a 14-2 record, winning 12 straight games to end the season. Engineering an offense that scored 33.2 points per game, Jackson was named the NFL MVP unanimously.

In 15 starts, Jackson completed 66.1% of his passes for 3,127 yards, 36 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He posted a 113.5 passer rating, which was the best among quarterbacks that made at least 12 starts.

Only Russell Wilson and Drew Brees had a better touchdown-to-interception ratio than Jackson. Jackson had two games with a perfect passer rating and six games with at least 95 rushing yards.

No one could’ve expected Jackson to have that kind of 2019 season, though he did find immediate success as a rookie. Months after the Ravens drafted him with the final pick of the 2018 first round, Jackson went 6-1 as Baltimore’s starter and led the team to the playoffs.

Jackson has come up short in the playoffs. He’s 0-2 in the postseason with three interceptions and a 68.3 passer rating.

At just 23 years old, Jackson should only improve as a passer. He can certainly avoid the dreaded “Madden Curse,” as cover athletes Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady have done over the last few years.

Lamar Jackson Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens is tackled as he carries the ball by cornerback Mike Hilton #28 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. Scott Taetsch/Getty Images
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