The cover athlete for NFL Tour, a new NFL licensed arcade football video game, will be determined through an open online voting process.

Voters will be able to choose between the Miami Dolphins’ defensive end Jason Taylor, the Indianapolis Colts’ defensive end Dwight Freeney, and the San Diego Chargers’ linebacker Shawne Merriman. At the completion of the voting process, the NFL player who receives the most votes will be announced as the official cover athlete for NFL Tour.

The cover athlete election officially begins today.

Each of the NFL Tour cover athlete elects have dominated the gridiron – Taylor, Freeney and Merriman are currently three of the top defensive players in the NFL. Jason Taylor, the 2006 NFL defensive player of the year, has established himself as one of the best defensive ends of all time with 106 career sacks. The defensive heart and soul of the 2006 Superbowl Champion Indianapolis Colts, three-time Pro-Bowler Dwight Freeney is the first Colts player to lead the NFL in sacks during an NFL season. Shawne Merriman is quickly establishing himself as one of the best linebackers in the NFL, racking up 27 sacks in his first two years in the league.

NFL Tour is a new NFL licensed video game that offers players a fun and engaging experience with the NFL and its talented players. Gamers will be able to embark on a fictional NFL road show. With real NFL players as teammates, players will travel across the country to play against each of the NFL teams in newly designed stadiums. As players defeat each of the NFL squads, they come one step closer to winning a NFL contract.