Michael Penix Jr. in Falcons gearMichael Penix Jr. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Social media had a field day crushing publisher EA Sports after a photo of Madden 25’s depiction of Michael Penix Jr. surfaced online.

EA appears to have gotten it all wrong by making the rookie quarterback white, with his facial features far from what we know the real Michael Penix Jr. to look like.

Michael Penix Jr. - Football - University of Washington Athletics

The highly anticipated video game will be released on August 19, and the developers are still working on it. However, a photo of Penix has leaked online two months ahead of time.

Check it out below:

You can take a look at some of the best comments here:

 

Of course, as other fans pointed out, the game is still in development and will likely be fixed before it launches. It’s also not unusual for rookies to look completely different while Madden is being worked on.

Michael Penix Jr. Caused A Stir At The NFL Draft

The Atlanta Falcons drafting Michael Penix Jr. was the biggest surprise from the April event.

The team had just signed Kirk Cousins in free agency when they decided to take Penix at No. 8, shocking everyone, including Cousins.

Falcons legend Michael Vick has defended the decision from Atlanta, however, branding it “smart” in a recent interview.

“I think it’s the right move for the future,” the former quarterback told Fox News Digital’s Ryan Morik. “It’s not a rush to get Michael Penix out on the field. At some point, he’ll be ready. But right now, you got a good quarterback in Kirk Cousins who can move the chains and give you a chance to win every Sunday, Monday and Thursday. I think that’s all you can ask for. But it was very strategic by the Falcons and very smart.”

It’s certainly an interesting dynamic for the Falcons. But only time will tell whether their decision was sound.