Rob Gronkowski Spikes His Way Onto Cover Of 'Madden 17'

GRONK SPIKE!
That football is about to get seriously hurt by Rob Gronkowski.
That football is about to get seriously hurt by Rob Gronkowski.
EA Sports

The NFL Draft is behind us, but between the draft and training camp, another annual marker of NFL football's sooner-than-you-think return has dropped: Featuring New England Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski, the cover of EA Sports' "Madden NFL" video game was released on Thursday.

“It’s a really special honor to appear on the cover of 'Madden NFL 17,'” Gronkowski said in a press release. “It’s one of those things that pretty much every guy in the league secretly dreams of, so to actually be the one on the cover, it’s a really big deal.”

Dare we say, this is one of the best-looking covers yet. Odell Beckham Jr. doing the "Odell Catch" on "Madden 16" was perfect, but a menacing Gronk spiking the hell out of that football just looks and feels so right.

New ballcarrier moves in "Madden 17" may result in vicious Antonio Brown stiff-arms.
New ballcarrier moves in "Madden 17" may result in vicious Antonio Brown stiff-arms.
EA Sports

A fan vote had determined the "Madden" cover star from 2010 to 2015, but EA Sports ditched that format this year. Considering Gronk's incredible season (72 catches, 1,176 yards, 11 touchdowns) and his continued dominance of dance clubs and social media, EA Sports' pick is on-point. Year in and year out, he's the No. 1 pass-catching weapon in the NFL. It's no surprise that he's the top-rated tight end in "Madden 17."

Up, up and away!
Up, up and away!
EA Sports

According to the press release, "Madden 17" will boast improvements to the ground game through an expansion of ball-carrier moves, a path assist feature to help your running back find daylight and stronger defensive AI. Gamers will be able to get creative with their running moves, pulling off more advanced stiff-arms and acrobatic leaps. Controlling Gronk as he stiff-arms and drags defenders to gain yards after the catch will probably be the game's most satisfying experience.

Followed by a touchdown and Gronk Spike, of course.

You can scoop a Gronk-covered copy of "Madden 17" on August 23.

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