Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley gets the cover for Madden NFL 26. Here’s the history of the mysterious ‘Madden Curse’.
If you’re an NFL Running Back and you get Madden cover, you’ve got a problem: the curse that worries the Eagles
Eagles’ fans and management are holding their breath and crossing their fingers. The good news is that their star running back will be on the cover of Madden NFL 26. The bad news is he could now be a victim to the “Madden Curse.”
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey played in only four games in the 2024 season after achilles tendinitis cost him the season’s first eight games and then a posterior cruciate ligament injury on his right knee that ended his 2024 campaign.
McCaffrey’s injury was a major blow for the 49ers and is the latest edition of the NFL’s infamous ‘Madden Curse’. Over the years, players who appear as the cover star on EA Sports’ Madden NFL series of videogames have often suffered injury and career setbacks in the following season.
Saquon Barkley and his hurdle grace the cover of Madden 26 🔥🦅 @EAMaddenNFL pic.twitter.com/13v5alJK6S
— ESPN (@espn) June 2, 2025
The so-called curse dates back to 1999 when the series began using key players on the front cover, rather than the eponymous John Madden. Here’s a look back at the issues that befell those early cover stars...
Origins of the Madden Curse
Madden 99: Garrison Hearst - Severe Injury
Madden 2000: Barry Sanders - Retired
Madden 2001: Eddie George - No Curse
Madden 2002: Daunte Culpepper - Severe Injury
Madden 2003: Marshall Faulk - Minor Injury
Madden 2004: Michael Vick - Severe Injury
Madden 2005: Ray Lewis - Minor Injury
Madden 2006: Donovan McNabb - Severe Injury
Madden 2007: Shaun Alexander - Severe Injury
Does the Madden Curse still exist in the NFL?
In the 2010s examples of the curse became less apparent and cover stars typically continued their impressive performances after gracing the cover. Throughout that decade most high-profile ‘victim’ was New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski in 2017, coming off another season of double-digit touchdowns. However his cover star season was a wash-out, making just six starts due to a succession of hamstring and other injury issues.
More recently however, two of the greatest players in NFL history have combined to put the curse to rest. Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes both enjoyed stellar seasons after appearing on the front cover of a Madden game.
Tom Brady was on the front of Madden 18 and ended the season with another Super Bowl appearance. The Patriots may have lost against the Philadelphia Eagles but Brady was named NFL Most Valuable Player and recorded more than 500 passing yards and 3 touchdown passes in the Super Bowl.
Two years later Patrick Mahomes was the cover star for Madden NFL 20. Although that season was not without injuries for Mahomes but Kansas City Chiefs quarterback put in another impressive season and signed a record-breaking $450 million contract the following summer.
Both Brady and Mahomes were on the cover of Madden 22 and both continued to thrive. Brady broke the league’s all-time passing yards record and became the first player in NFL history to throw 700 touchdown passes. Mahomes was named Offensive Player of the Week three times in the regular season and went on to add two more Super Bowl rings in the following seasons. If it ever existed, the Madden Curse is no more.
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