When EA Sports announced that Tom Brady, 39 was picked to be on the cover of Madden NFL 18, the New England Patriots quarterback immediately did some damage control over fans freaking out over the “Madden Curse.” Tom reassured his fans, that “there’s no such thing as curses. It’s a total myth.” Yet, he shouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the coincidence. Ever since Garrison Hearst, 46, of the San Francisco 49ers appeared on Madden NFL 99, the cover stars have been hit by injuries or just poor performances, according to Digital Trends. Garrison broke his angle during the playoffs in the 98-99 season.
Michael Vick, 36, picked to be on Madden 2004, fractured his fibula in the preseason. He returned in Week 13, throwing for just 585 passing yards, 4 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. That’s as bad as Donovan McNabb, 40, the Madden 06 star. His season ended in Week 9, due to a groin injury. The next year, Shaun Alexander, 39, broke his foot in Week 3 after appearing on the cover of Madden 07. Daunte Culpepper, 40, was selected for the Madden 2002 cover. He played for 11 games, throwing just for 14 touchdowns before a knee injury ended his season, per Fox Sports.
The Madden Curse isn’t just injuries. Sometimes, a player has a miserable season following their cover appearance. Vince Young threw for 17 interceptions after appearing on Madden 08. Marshall Faulk, 44, wasn’t the same after appearing on Madden 2003, as the running back’s streak of five-straight 1000-plus rushing yard seasons was broken. Drew Brees, 38, was picked for the Madden 11 cover, and he was picked off 22-times, a career high number of interceptions.
Some people have avoided the curse. Odell Beckham Jr., 24, appeared on Madden 2016, and he ended the following season with 13 touchdowns and 1,450 receiving yards. Calvin Johnson’s 2012 season was one of his best, as the 31-year-old Madden 2013 cover star nearly recorded 2,000 receiving yards. Unfortunately, Rob Gronkowski, 27, wasn’t so lucky. After appearing on Madden NFL 16, he pulled a hamstring and missed the season’s first two games. After getting back on the field, he suffered a back injury that forced him to miss Super Bowl 51. Maybe Tom should be a bit more careful when it comes to dismissing the curse?
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Do you think the Madden Curse is real, HollywoodLifers? Do you think Tom’s in danger of having a bad season?