This unusual soccer occurrence popularly called the “Madden curse” has kept football fans on the edge of their seats for decades. This belief suggests that athletes featured on the cover of the popular video game franchise “Madden NFL” often face unexpected misfortunes or declines in performance following their appearance. Let’s explore this premise by taking a look at some previous cover stars. Their long, unpredictable careers are filled with streaks of brilliance and puzzling lows.
Odell Beckham Jr., who appeared on the cover of “Madden NFL 16,” had a fantastic beginning to his NFL career. In his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, he racked up an incredible 96 receptions for 1,450 yards and 13 touchdowns. His electrifying style and playmaking ability earned him the nickname “X-factor” and endeared him to fans, making him one of the league’s most dynamic wide receivers. In the years after his cover appearance, injuries and obstacles that spurred doubt about the curse began to shake its credibility.
Following Beckham, Tom Brady stepped into those iconic shoes as the cover athlete of “Madden NFL 18.” After a blistering 2016 campaign, where he established himself as the top quarterback in the country, he threw for 4,500 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2017. Brady lived with a career-high of 18 picks that year. This experience was a valuable reminder of how unpredictable football performance can be. Brady’s long-term career arc was still excellent, defying the curse storyline.
Richard Sherman proved to be a memorable cover star in “Madden NFL 15.” He was, in fact, a very good cornerback for over a decade. Sherman’s elite coverage skills were part of a dominant, historically great defense with the Seattle Seahawks. That’s likely because he got injured as the years wore on. Yet, as a cover star, his tenure appeared immune to any such curse-like occurrence.
Antonio Brown, who graced the cover of Madden NFL 19, is another athlete whose career has led to speculation about the Madden curse. In his heyday with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Brown was a game-changer. On the Detroit Lions, he was a perennial leader in receptions and yardage. Along the next three years, his career took a violent and traumatic detour. Off-field issues and controversies seemed to cloud his future and heavily affect his reputation within the league.
Patrick Mahomes, the cover star for “Madden NFL 20,” went on to have an MVP season following his appearance. He guided the Kansas City Chiefs to a Super Bowl championship and was recognized for his innovative passing game with numerous individual awards. In stark contrast to some of his predecessors, Mahomes’s performance after going cover was nothing short of historic. That quickly raises questions about whether the curse actually carries merit when it comes to judging a player’s performance.
Rob Gronkowski, shown here as the cover athlete for “Madden NFL 17,” suffered major injury woes during that season. His challenges serve as a reminder that even the most elite athletes can experience grievous injuries. This complicates things further in the now decades-long debate about the Madden curse.
Lamar Jackson, who – like Edwards – was the cover athlete of last year’s “Madden NFL 21” and had a magical 2019 season to boot. His brand of dynamic playmaking landed him atop a lot of lists for best quarterbacks in the league. Jackson’s tremendous success after appearing on the cover has only added to the mystique surrounding the mythical curse.
Finally, Christian McCaffrey’s cover appearance on “Madden NFL 25” turned heads. It shone a light on the burden of expectations placed on player performance after being chosen as a cover star. He found success early on the field, but injuries limited his impact on the field in the later years.
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