EA Sports John Madden Football
The Madden curse. For a good twenty years, fans prayed that a player from their team would not grace the cover of the famous video game. Injuries, career-worst seasons, and general calamity came upon cover athletes for years. However, in recent years we have heard less about the curse. With Madden 24 right around the corner and a rumored cover athlete the question must be asked, is the Madden curse still real?
The Madden Curse
The curse dates back to Madden 99. The cover athlete was running back Garrison Hearst who broke his ankle in the playoffs that year. It was a horrific injury that kept him out for two full seasons. Injuries are the most common way the curse would manifest itself. Since Madden 99, 16 cover athletes have suffered season-ending injuries with many of those being very early in the season. Some athletes bounce back from the curse and others see it end their careers.
Notable Madden Curse Recipients
Michael Vick broke his leg one day after the game’s release which caused him to miss significant time. Donovan McNabb dealt with a sports hernia and a public feud with Terrell Owens. Shaun Alexander broke his foot and was never the same after the injury. Vince Young only missed one game due to injury but he quit on his team, lost the respect of his teammates, and was promptly cut by the organization. Peyton Hillis was the Madden 12 cover athlete and he was a one-hit wonder. It is uncanny when you trace the history. In recent years, however, the Madden curse has been absent.
Recent Madden Cover Athletes
Patrick Mahomes was on the cover of Madden 20 and made it to the Super Bowl but offensive line injuries caused Mahomes to get walloped in the game. Tom Brady also graced the cover and while the team lost to the Eagles in the Super Bowl, Brady threw for over 500 yards in the game. In both of these cases, it was the team that betrayed the cover athlete. Is the Madden curse evolving? Instead of affecting the single athlete maybe it goes on to affect the rest of the team. Madden 23 saw John Madden grace the cover which meant that no player would be at risk for the year.
This Year Will Be A Big Test
The rumor is that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen will grace the cover of Madden 24. With last year being an off year for the curse, how will it manifest, if at all this year? Allen had a rough season already last year. He led the league with 17 interceptions. His elbow injury affected him throughout the season. The Bills didn’t even make it to the AFC Championship Game. However, the Bills team looks to have significant holes in the roster, and with the landscape of the AFC, things could go wrong fast.
Even the most un-superstitious person has to acknowledge the Madden curse. When you look through the history it is crazy how many careers it has destroyed. How Allen plays this year could give us insight into the curse in the modern era. Does Allen ball out but the rest of the team struggles? Or does the curse go back to plaguing one player?
