Fans of Madden or just football in general have most likely heard about the Madden cover curse. The number of injuries or unfortunate events that have plagued the cover athletes in Madden is hard to ignore. Coincidence or not we will look at some notable fates of cover athletes in Madden and why they are usually career-changing for the worse. EA has publicly come out to deny the curse exists, causing more speculation.
The Curse Of Madden
With the injury of Madden 25 cover athlete Christian McCaffrey in Week 1, fans are worried about the fate of the beloved running back. In recent years the Madden curse seems to have died down since 2020 as the last four cover athletes Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Lamar Jackson have been far from cursed.
Madden 19 is when the Madden cover curse is last found with Antonio Brown, who has had a rough time since gracing the cover. He had a strong season in his cover year but caused issues in the locker room and off the field ultimately being traded to the Raiders. Playing only 16 games in the NFL between three different teams, his career ended there. In 2011 and 2012, Drew Brees and Peyton Hillis arguably had the Madden cover curse after being on the cover with Brees throwing a career-high 22 Interceptions and Hillis never becoming a starting running back again.
The two cover athletes who got the worst of the curse are Michael Vick in 2004 and Vince Young in 2008, Young threw 9 TDs and 17 INTs while also being benched and never became the player he was. Vick gets injured 1 week after the game’s release and four years later is in jail, tainting his entire career.
Conclusion
Players like Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb also come to mind when thinking of the Madden cover curse, Favre and McNabb both had seasons riddled with drama causing Farve to force his way out of Green Bay and McNabb to miss half the season. In the history of Madden, the odds seem to be more in your favor if you happen to make it on the cover.
While the number of athletes who seemed to be “cursed” after gracing the cover can cause anyone to be superstitious, the curse has not affected the recent athletes. It is an honor to be on the cover of Madden, athletes especially in football are bound to have injuries, and in the case of Christian McCaffrey, all fans should hope for him to stay healthy on the field and stay smart off the field. Whether the curse is real or not this is bound to be an exciting season for fans.
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