The Madden Curse Appears to Be Back — Here's a History of the Years It Has Struck

The "Madden Curse" is something that will send chills down the spine of NFL stars, gamers, football fans, and fantasy football players 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 nearly every one 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.

While the curse has seemingly 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. Keep in mind, Madden games are released a year ahead. So, for instance, Madden 2020 was released in 2019.

The very first victim of the Curse was Garrison Hearst, who was the first player to be featured on the cover of the game's international edition. According to USA Today, he suffered a broken ankle and missed two seasons, returning to the NFL in 2001.

In 2000, former Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders was featured on the cover of the game alongside John Madden. SportingNews reports that Barry retired unexpectedly in 1999.

In 2002, the curse struck again when former Detroit Lions quarterback Daunte Culpepper was taken out of the remainder of the 2001 season by a knee injury (per SportingNews).

In 2003 Marshall Faulk, considered one of the strongest running backs of his time, suffered a series of injuries to his ankle which ended his extraordinary record of rushing for over 1,000 yards consecutively for his first five seasons (via Pro Football Hall of Fame). Although his career continued, he never again rushed for 1,000 yards in a season.

In 2003, former Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick fractured his fibula in the pre season and was forced to miss 11 games (per LA Times). He suffered a number of injuries throughout his career and was eventually arrested in 2007 for running an illegal dogfighting ring, sentenced to 23 months in prison, and suspended indefinitely from the NFL (via Britannica).

In 2004, famed Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis broke his wrist, which forced him to miss the final game of the season (via SportingNews).

In 2005, Donovan McNabb, who played as the quarterback for the Philidelphia Eagles, suffered a groin injury and later required a hernia repair (per CBC).

In 2006, Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander suffered a broken foot. He was forced to sit out the rest of the season, and was anxious about re-entering in the 2007 season (via ESPN).

In 2008, Tennessee Titans' quarterback Vince Young suffered a quad injury. Although he didn't miss many games due to the injury, it bothered him for a long time (per NBC New York).

In 2009, Jets QB Brett Favre was retired when he was featured on the cover, but returned to play and suffered a tear injury to his bicep tendon (via ESPN).

In 2010, Madden featured two players on the cover for the first time. Unfortunately, they were both subject to the curse. Larry Fitzgerald suffered from a knee injury a few years later (via CBS).

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu suffered a sprayed MCL during the 2009 season (per NBC).

In 2012, Cleveland Brown running back Peyton Hillis was ill-fatedly voted onto the cover by fans. He suffered a hamstring injury in 2011 (via NBC Sports).

In 2012, former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, considered one of the greatest running backs of all time, suffered a foot sprain and ankle injury (via SportingNews). In 2016, he suffered a major knee injury. Adrian was later ordered to turn over his assets in 2024 after defaulting on $12 million in loans when the injury unexpectedly sidelined his career and NFL prospects (via USA Today).

During the 2015 season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman hurt his elbow. For a time, it looked like he might need a corrective surgery known as Tommy John surgery, but he was ultimately able to avoid the surgery (per ESPN). Unfortunately, he later ruptured a tendon which ended his time with the Seahawks in 2017 (via SportingNews).

During the 2015 season, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was bothered by a hamstring injury (per AP News).

In 2017, Rob Gronkowski, who played as a tight end for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, suffered a hamstring injury that seemed frustratingly slow to heal (via NFL).

During the 2018 season, Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver Antonio Brown experienced a knee injury that required some supervision and healing time (per CBSSports).

During the 2019 season, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes suffered a kneecap dislocation. He appeared again on the front of Madden 2023, suffering a concussion during the 2022 season (via SportingNews).

In 2020 and 2021, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to sit out (via Yahoo!Sports).

In 2024, San Francisco '49ers running back Christian McCaffrey suffered a PCL sprain in his knee, limiting him to just four games during the season (via USA Today).

Whether or not all of these injuries are related to their covers on Madden or not is a mystery. According to CBSSports, 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. But one thing is clear: The percentage of those who are supposedly "cursed" to those who are supposedly "not" is not great.

Even if we go by the CBS tally of just 17 "cursed" cover stars out of 26 covers since the Curse "started," that's a horrible record. Some rumors claim the Curse has touched as many as 22 players, which includes all of those listed above. Madden 25 cover star Christian McCaffrey passed the torch on to Madden 26 cover star Saquon Barkley in June 2025 for an August 2025 release via Instagram.

When Saquon was asked if he was worried about the Curse, the Eagles running back told USA Today, "Nah, I'm a believer in God. That's my mindset, to be completely honest."

The existence of the curse will always be forever debated. Unless, of course, one of your favorite players was taken out in close proximity to appearing on a Madden cover. In that case, you might be a believer for life.

Injuries are a way of life for football players, and all of the cover models were tapped at the height of their career, which meant more opportunity for injuries. Nonetheless, the coincidence is alarming.