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Christian McCaffrey was named the “Madden NFL 25” cowl athlete on Tuesday, and he did not wait lengthy to tempt destiny.
Talking with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the San Francisco 49ers operating again was requested if he was apprehensive in any respect in regards to the fabled “Madden curse” when he accepted the supply to turn into cowl athlete. He did not sound very apprehensive:
“No, I’m not superstitious in any respect about it. I used to be so excited, man. This was such an honor. After I first bought the decision, I used to be in shock. It is one thing I simply by no means thought would occur to me. I by no means thought that somebody would name and inform me I am on the duvet of Madden.
“So after I bought the decision, I wasn’t fascinated by any curse, I used to be simply excited. I feel that stuff is kinda fable and no matter occurs, occurs. I am excited to be on the duvet.”
Given McCaffrey’s harm historical past, these are daring phrases.
McCaffrey sits as the highest operating again within the NFL this offseason after main the league in dashing with a career-high 1,459 dashing yards, plus 564 receiving yards and a career-high 21 complete touchdowns in 2023. He has confirmed to be an ideal match for the Niners, who rode him all the way in which to Tremendous Bowl LVIII final season.
Nonetheless, McCaffrey has had points staying wholesome up to now, enjoying solely 10 video games complete for the Carolina Panthers between 2020 and 2021. Might showing on the Madden cowl invite extra woes?
Let’s take a better take a look at the way it’s labored out for his predecessors.
Is the Madden curse lifeless?
It’s plain that the historical past of the “Madden NFL” has seen a few of its cowl athletes undergo down years or worse within the yr after.
There are actually some examples that stand out, similar to Michael Vick (2003) fracturing his fibula and Peyton Hillis (2012) preventing strep throat and hamstring points for a workforce that permit him stroll on the finish of the yr. However as you will see, the previous 10 post-Madden seasons have been up and down, so here is a better look.
For scale, we’ll use a five-point system named after Hillis, for whom Cleveland Browns and various trolls juiced an internet vote towards a post-scandal Vick (prone to the aid of Madden’s writer).
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“Madden NFL 24,” Josh Allen: Had a comparatively down yr with a career-high in interceptions, Payments gained division however misplaced to Chiefs in divisional spherical. 3/5 Hillises.
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“Madden NFL 23,” John Madden: N/A
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“Madden NFL 22,” Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes: Brady was barely much less productive in his ultimate season at age 45 whereas Mahomes had one other Professional Bowl yr, shocked the Payments within the “13 seconds” recreation and misplaced to the Bengals within the AFC championship. 2/5 Hillises.
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“Madden NFL 21,” Lamar Jackson: Performed simply fantastic, although not in addition to his earlier MVP yr. Ravens bought off to a sluggish begin and handled a team-wide COVID-19 outbreak, however managed to get a wild-card berth, the place they bought revenge on the Titans however bought steamrolled by the Payments. 2/5 Hillises
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“Madden NFL 20,” Patrick Mahomes: Gained the Tremendous Bowl. 0/5 Hillises.
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“Madden NFL 19,” Antonio Brown: Posted an honest yr by his requirements till he feuded with Ben Roethlisberger, bought benched for lacking apply in Week 17 and demanded a commerce, the start of some of the weird stretches of time we have ever seen from a participant. 5/5 Hillises.
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“Madden NFL 18,” Tom Brady: Gained his third MVP award, led the NFL in passing and reached the Tremendous Bowl, the place the Patriots misplaced to the Eagles through the “Philly particular.” 1/5 Hillises.
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“Madden NFL 17,” Rob Gronkowski: Was knocked out for the season by a herniated disc in Week 12, didn’t play a down within the Patriots’ Tremendous Bowl run. 4/5 Hillises, 5/5 for those who do not care about rings.
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“Madden NFL 16,” Odell Beckham Jr.: Posted the most efficient season of his profession, with a career-high in receiving yards and touchdowns, although additionally bought suspended a recreation for security violations whereas the Giants went 6-10. 1/5 Hillises.
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“Madden NFL 15,” Richard Sherman: Earned his third straight first-team All-Professional honors and helped lead the Seahawks to the Tremendous Bowl, the place they misplaced to the Patriots within the Malcolm Butler recreation. You would possibly bear in mind his dismayed response going viral. 2/5 Hillises.
So it has been one thing of a blended bag. You might argue that almost all of the athletes on the previous 10 Madden covers have suffered from down years, however that is additionally the character of soccer. Gamers get injured and underperform, with their struggles amplified by each the Madden cowl and the expectations created by the form of seasons that result in a Madden cowl.
The factor about a variety of these seasons, even the dangerous ones, is kind of a number of gamers would kill simply to have the ability to name a season similar to Allen’s 2023, with 4,306 passing yards and 11-6 file, a down yr. It is all comparative, with very excessive requirements, and ultimately, it’s totally simple to name any season that does not finish in a Tremendous Bowl a failure.
So the curse will stay on, barring an unimaginable run of success, totally embedded in American sports activities and online game tradition.
