Written by Glenn | 21 March 2011

For a second consecutive year, EA Sports is putting the cover athlete decision on the fans. A player from each team has been selected as part of the bracketed competition, and fans can vote on ESPN. Each round of voting is one week, with the finals being April 18-26.

Does this system work? Last year it worked. Among a vote of three players, Drew Brees was awarded the cover; this came two months after winning Super Bowl XLIV. I'm not sure it will once again. This bracketed vote puts the most deserving player, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers, in a tough spot. He should be the cover athlete without any vote; the guy led the Packers to a win in Super Bowl XLV (it is funny how on the EA Sports blog, there's a game shot of Rodgers as they urge you to vote).

It shouldn't be tough for Rodgers to get past the first few rounds. The bracket is soft enough to where his only competition early on might be Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald.

If Rodgers gets to the final four, then it's where things might not be so concrete. He could face off against Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan or Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew.

And if Rodgers gets to the finals, there's one guy he could face that might dethrone him without a challenge: Michael Vick.

Yes, Michael Vick is one of the 32 players on the bracket, meaning he could be the first ever repeat cover athlete in Madden; he was in Madden 2004. Whether people will vote against him because of his past remains to be seen. However, Vick has a very soft side of the bracket, with his only real competitor being Brees should they both make the final four.

But it should be Rodgers. This is too early for Vick to get an honor like this. If Vick has one more season of success (whenever the next season takes place) then we can talk about him being on the cover. This is Rodgers' time. He's the champion and the franchise quarterback for one of the most storied teams in the NFL.

I think the fans will rise up and get Rodgers what he deserves. There is no other player that deserves it.

Prediction of the bracket follows the jump ...


First round
Aaron Rodgers def. Ndamukong Suh
Larry Fitzgerald def. Sam Bradford
Hakeem Nicks def. Brian Orakpo
Danny Woodhead def. Steve Johnson
Maurice Jones-Drew def. Dwight Freeney
Tim Tebow def. Jamaal Charles
Ray Rice def. Peyton Hills
Matt Ryan def. Jordan Gross
Philip Rivers def. Darren McFadden
Adrian Peterson def. Julius Peppers
Mark Sanchez def. Jake Long
Drew Brees def. Josh Freeman
Michael Vick def. DeMarcus Ware
Chris Johnson def. Andre Johnson
Patrick Willis def. The 12th Man
Hines Ward def. Carlos Dunlap

Second Round
Rodgers def. Fitzgerald
Nicks def. Woodhead
Jones-Drew def. Tebow
Ryan def. Rice
Peterson def. Rivers
Sanchez def. Brees
Vick def. Chris Johnson
Ward def. Willis

Quarterfinals
Rodgers def. Nicks
Ryan def. Jones-Drew
Sanchez def. Peterson
Vick def. Ward

Semifinals
Rodgers def. Ryan
Sanchez def. Vick

Finals
Rodgers def. Sanchez