What is the Madden curse? List of NFL players affected by this over the years
Josh Allen recently became the 1st Bills player to feature in the cover of the iconic video game franchise.
Follow Us
Josh Allen on the cover of Madden 24 (Image courtesy: EA Sports)
The Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been revealed as the cover athlete for the 2024 Madden game. He became the first player in the Bills franchise history to receive that honor. While many Bills fans have been celebrating the news, some people are afraid the infamous Madden curse could ruin the Bills’ upcoming season.
Yes, the “Madden curse” has been a topic for conversation among football fans for a long-long time. For whatever reason, players who feature on the Madden cover haven’t enjoyed good production or good outcomes in the following seasons. Throughout the years, many players have been a victim of this curse effect.
Maddens curse works in different ways. Some players suffer season-ending injuries and some players simply fail to accomplish anything. Madden typically features athletes who performed at a high level the previous season. So when the players’ production takes a dip, the Madden curse gets the blame. In this article, we’ll take a look at the list of players who have suffered the wrath of the Madden Curse.
List of players affected by the Madden curse
The Madden NFL video game, which has been around since 1989, didn’t feature athletes on its cover until 1999. Up until that year, the Las Vegas Raiders‘ legendary head coach John Madden had been the cover of the iconic gaming franchise. But that changed in the year of 1999.
Garrison Hearst, Madden 1999 – The San Francisco 49ers‘ running back Garrison Hearst was the first active NFL player to be featured in the Madden NFL cover. He was breaking records and on the trajectory of becoming an all-time. But after gracing the cover of Madden 99, he suffered an ankle injury in the playoffs and missed the next two seasons. Besides, he was never the same running back after the injury. And thus, the Madden curse began.
Barry Sanders, Madden 2000 – Barry Sanders was initially the cover of the Madden 2000 video game, but he abruptly retired ahead of the 1999 season. Must’ve sensed some danger! Nevertheless, Madden re-released the game with the Green Bay Packers running back Dorsey Levens on the cover. Levens’ Packers didn’t make the playoffs in the season after making back-to-back trips to Super Bowls in previous years.
Eddie George, Madden 2001 – The Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George escaped any immediate danger, but a season later he suffered an injury and was never the same.
Daunte Culpepper, Madden 2002 – After a remarkable season in 2001, the Minnesota Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper somehow lost his mojo and led his franchise to an ugly 4-7 record before suffering a season-ending injury.
Marshall Faulk, Madden 2003 – Marshall Faulk was part of the Greatest Show on Turf but the Los Angeles Rams running back unfortunately suffered an ankle injury after gracing the cover of Madden and he never had an 1000+ rushing yards season ever again in his career.
Michael Vick, Madden 2004 – This is one of the interesting incidents. Michael Vick suffered a fractured fibula a day after the Madden game was released. He missed 11 games in the 2003 season and this is approximately when fans started to really talk about the Madden Curse.
Ray Lewis, Madden 2005 – The legendary Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis broke his wrist after gracing the cover of the Madden game. The 2004 season was the first year of his career. He went without registering a single interception.
Donovan McNabb, Madden 2006 – The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb suffered a groin injury in week 10 and missed the remaining games of the season.
Shaun Alexander, Madden 2007 – The Seattle Seahawks‘ reigning MVP Shaun Alexander suffered a foot injury in week 3 which led to him missing six games. He was never the same RB after the injury.
Vince Young, Madden 2008 – Vince Young was named the Madden 08 cover athlete after LaDainian Tomlinson turned down EA’s offer. Young injured his quad during the season but only missed one game.
Brett Favre, Madden 2009 – Brett Favre was chosen to be the cover athlete of Madden following his retirement, but the quarterback unretired and decided to play for the New York Jets. Favre suffered a bicep injury but didn’t miss a single game. The Jets didn’t make the playoffs that season.
Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu, Madden 2010 – This was the first time Madden featured two athletes on the cover. Troy Polamalu suffered an MCL injury and missed 4 games in the season. Larry Fitzgerald suffered a hip injury but didn’t miss any games. However, Fitzgerald’s injury affected his performance and the Arizona Cardinals missed the playoffs in that season.
Drew Brees, Madden 2011 – The New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees didn’t suffer any injuries and even made the playoffs but they shockingly lost to the 7-9 Seahawks in their wildcard matchup.
Peyton Hillis, Madden 2012 – Peyton Hillis got the honor of featuring in the Madden cover with the help of fans voting for him. Hillis suffered hamstring issues throughout the season but avoided any major injuries.
Calvin Johnson, Madden 2013 – The Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson was the first player to escape the Madden curse. Johnson put up statistically the best season by a wideout as he registered 1,974 receiving yards which still stands as the record for the most receiving yards registered in a single season.
Adrian Peterson, Madden (25) 2014 – The Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson missed two games in the season with a groin injury and a foot sprain. He had to get surgery the following season.
Richard Sherman, Madden 2015 – The iconic defensive back Richard Sherman played all games but had to undergo surgery following the Seahawks’ Super Bowl loss against the Patriots.
Odell Beckham Jr., Madden 2016 – The New York Giants star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. dealt with minor hamstring injuries and faced a one-game suspension for fighting with the Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman.
Rob Gronkowski, Madden 2017 – The Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski suffered multiple injuries after gracing the cover of Madden 17. He started just 6 games in 2016 as he dealt with a hamstring injury and a season-ending back injury that required a surgery
Tom Brady, Madden 2018 – Even the GOAT Tom Brady couldn’t break the Madden curse. Brady didn’t suffer any injuries and had a brilliant regular season where he won the MVP award but he eventually lost the Super Bowl game against Nick Foles-led Eagles in a major upset.
Antonio Brown, Madden 2019 – The controversial Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown was the face of the iconic gaming franchise’s 2019 edition. He suffered a knee injury in the 2018 season and had some issues with his teammates. That was the last season Antonio Brown played in the black and yellow colors.
Patrick Mahomes, Madden 2020 – One could say the Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes broke the Madden curse by winning the Super Bowl, however, he did suffer a kneecap injury in the same season.
Lamar Jackson, Madden 2021 – The Baltimore Ravens’ dual-threat quarterback Lamar Jackson missed one game due to Covid-19. The former league MVP signal-caller also suffered a knee injury but he played through it.
Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, Madden 2022 – This was the second time, the Madden cover featured two athletes. Patrick Mahomes suffered two concussions but avoided major issues. Tom Brady on the other hand didn’t suffer any injury but had an early exit from the postseason following a divisional-round loss against the LA Rams.
The Madden cover didn’t feature any athletes as they paid tribute to the late John Madden by having him on the cover. And now, the Bills QB Josh Allen gets the honor of gracing the Madden cover. Let’s just hope the Pro Bowl QB Allen has a safe and successful campaign in the upcoming season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the cover athlete in Madden 24?
The Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen will be gracing the cover of the iconic video game’s 2024 edition.
What is Madden curse?
The “Madden curse” is a popular belief among football fans that whoever features on the cover of the Madden video game will have bad luck in the following season.
Who broke the Madden curse?
The Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes led his franchise to Super Bowl victory after gracing the cover of the Madden video game.
Do follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
In case you missed it!
Stay Updated!
Aravind Raj
(2075 Articles Published)