Madden 18 will release Aug. 25 on PS4 and Xbox One, and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will be featured on the cover. In a press release Friday morning, the game’s publishers at Electronic Arts confirmed the news and posted a teaser for what appears to be a story mode. Brady’s inclusion marks the first time in franchise history that teammates were cover stars in back-to back years. Tight end Rob Gronkowski is pictured on Madden 17.

In the absence of features about the game itself, this particular announcement focuses on its two edition tiers that fans can pre-order. Those who buy the standard edition early will be privy to numerous benefits including the choice of one Elite player for the NFL 18 Ultimate Team draft and five free Squad Packs. The star of the set, however, is the Greatest Of All-Time GOAT Edition. It comes with the above mentioned content plus one of five GOAT-level players for Ultimate Team. GOAT Edition owners will be able to play the full game starting Aug. 22 as well.

Read: Madden 18 Will Get Engine Updates, EA Confirms

Like many high-profile EA titles, Madden 18 has EA Access perks too. Starting Aug. 17, service subscribers will be able to try Madden 18 for up to 10 hours.

With regard to EA’s history-making decision to put Tom Brady on the cover, few could argue that Brady didn’t deserve the honor. After sitting out the first four games of the season due to the league's controversial Deflate Gate decision, he still managed to lead the New England Patriots to victory in what was one of the most stunning Super Bowl comebacks of all-time. During a year that was seemingly designed to suppress the Patriots’ dominance, Brady became the first quarterback to ever win five championships.

Of course, every cover athlete announcement comes with a rekindling of discussion surrounding the dreaded Madden Curse. But Tom Brady isn’t concerned about facing the same injured fate as many cover stars before him. “I'm not one to believe in curses, so I'm ready to take the challenge head on like always! It doesn't stand a chance,” he said. Brady was also quick to say his latest achievement was “a great honor for me since I have been playing the game since growing up next to EA headquarters in the Bay Area.”

Read: Tom Brady Jersey Found In Possession Of Mexican Media

Madden 18 will be powered by the latest iteration of EA’s Frostbite engine. Beyond technical enhancements, the game’s developers have also teased a brand new gameplay mode that will debut during EA’s EA Play press briefing event on June 10. If the tail end of the teaser is any indication, it may be a story mode similar to the one featured in last year's FIFA. It will be revealed alongside updates on Star Wars Battlefront II, Need For Speed and a whole lot more.

Madden 18's release date for PS4 and Xbox One is Aug. 25.

How do you feel about Tom Brady gracing the cover of Madden 18? Would you have picked a different player? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section!

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