Christian McCaffrey, the San Francisco 49ers’ star running back and last year’s Offensive Player of the Year, was picked to be on the cover of Madden NFL 25 earlier this year.
Unfortunately, McCaffrey now finds himself on injured reserve due to calf soreness and Achilles tendinitis, sidelining him for at least the first four games. According to ESPN, McCaffrey has a history with injuries, especially during his time with the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 2021, where he only managed to play ten games across two seasons. His move to the 49ers saw him play in 32 out of 33 games, but his recent injury has reignited chatter about the infamous Madden curse.
John Madden was the face of the game covers until 1998. Since then, NFL players have taken over, leading to the belief that being featured on the cover brings bad luck, either in the form of injuries or poor performance. CBS Sports even did an analysis, showing that 14 out of the last 24 cover athletes either got hurt or didn’t play as well afterwards.
We always find these curses and superstitions fascinating, don’t we?
Football is a tough sport, and injuries are almost inevitable, even for the strongest players. Most athletes miss games at some point due to injuries. But, the Madden curse believers will likely see McCaffrey’s injury as more proof of their theory.
