Do you believe in the Madden Curse?
The “Madden Curse” is something that has to send chills down the spine of NFL stars, gamers and football fans all across the nation.
Ever since Madden’s 1999 international version, the players who are featured on the cover of the game are said to be subject to the “Madden Curse.”
The Curse, which has struck a very high majority of the star players who have graced the cover of the game, comes in the form of a major injury or life circumstance that interferes with their football career.
The curse has taken a break here and there, it appears to have returned in 2025 and resumed its legacy of misery and pain.
Here’s what we know about the years that have been impacted by the Madden Curse and which corresponding players have been struck by misfortune. The following are just a select few.
1999: Garrison Hearst suffered a broken ankle and missed two seasons, returning to the NFL in 2001.
2000: Barry Sanders immediately retired from the Detroit Lions.
2002: Daunte Culpepper missed the season with a knee injury.
2003: Marshall Faulk, considered one of the strongest running backs of his time, suffered a series of injuries to his ankle which ended his record of rushing for over 1,000 yards consecutively for his first five seasons. Although his career continued, he never again rushed for 1,000 yards in a season.
2004: Michael Vick fractured his fibula in the preseason and was forced to miss 11 games. He suffered a number of injuries throughout his career and was eventually arrested in 2007 for running an illegal dog fighting ring, sentenced to 23 months in prison, and suspended by the NFL.
2006: Donovan McNabb, who played as the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles, suffered a groin injury and later required a hernia repair.
2007: Shaun Alexander, a Seattle Seahawks running back, suffered a broken foot. He was forced to sit out the rest of the season.
2021: Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to sit out multiple games.
2024: Christian McCaffrey, the San Francisco ’49ers running back suffered a PCL sprain in his knee, limiting him to just four games during the season.
Space limitations led me to leaving out several other “victims”.
So are they all cursed? According to CBS Sports, only 17 of the covers have led to career-altering circumstances such as career-ending injuries or a steady decrease in that player’s skills following their Madden debut, Some of those injured went on to continue playing, while others didn’t. Some suffered other drama, such as arrests or allegations.
Seventeen “cursed” cover stars out of 26 covers since the Curse “started,” is an astounding record. So who has to be nervous this season? That would be Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
