Madden NFL 10's cover athletes had played against each other in which Super Bowl?

Madden NFL 10’s cover athletes had played against each other in Super Bowl XLIII.

The game made series history by featuring two cover players: Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Their teams met in Super Bowl XLIII, played at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on February 1, 2009, several months before Madden NFL 10 launched.

The matchup was especially memorable because Fitzgerald helped Arizona take a fourth-quarter lead with a long touchdown reception, but Pittsburgh won 27–23 after Ben Roethlisberger’s late touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes. Polamalu recorded an interception in the game, while Fitzgerald set a Super Bowl record at the time with 546 receiving yards across his postseason run.

A common mix-up is confusing the answer with Super Bowl XLV, another Steelers appearance. XLV was played two seasons later, in 2011, and did not involve the Cardinals or Fitzgerald.