The San Francisco 49ers placed star running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve, further supporting the claim that the Madden Curse is real.
Read More: 49ers Place Star Christian McCaffrey on IR Due to Calf and Achilles Injury
The theory behind the supposed curse surrounds the NFL player featured on the cover of EA Sports’ annual video game. After making the cover, the play is ill-fated for the season, whether that be a poor performance or a serious injury. Making the cover of the EA Sports game is essentially a bad omen.
Some may say its superstition. Others believes its fact. Death, taxes, and the Madden Curse.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 11: Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers celebrates after scoring a touchdown during Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium on February 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After Christian McCaffrey was placed on injured reserves, fans have speculated if the Madden curse is the culprit.
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EA Sports has even come forward and publicly denied the validity of said curse.
However, McCaffrey was the latest cover star of the NFL video game and the 49ers announced on Saturday that he is slated to miss at least four games with Achilles tendonitis.
The injury is extremely serious. If the San Francisco running back were to continue playing with the ailment, he could rupture his Achilles.
The 2023 Offensive Player of the Year won’t be making any splash plays for the 49ers’ offense any time soon, despite McCaffrey saying he was prepared to play in Week 2.
“My mindset every week is I’m going to play,” McCaffrey told the media said Wednesday. “There’s been weeks where I’ll go the full week, not even feeling good enough to do the walk-through, and then I wake up and the body’s capable of a lot of cool things. Mentally, I’m always prepared to play, and then I woke up and it was a group decision, a very tough one. I hate not playing, but I look at it as a chess move and something that hopefully you can benefit from the rest of the season.”
After Josh Allen graced the cover of Madden NFL 2024, the Buffalo Bills quarterback led the league in turnovers with 11 interceptions and four fumbles. Fans immediately named the popular video game as the culprit.
The theory doesn’t always hold true. In 2022, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes earned the Madden nod. Both quarterbacks still had phenomenal seasons.
The inception of the Madden Curse began with Barry Sanders in 2000. The Detroit Lions running back starred on the first cover of the football video game. He was poised to have another legendary season, but instead unexpectedly retired.
Since then, a number of athletes to be featured on the cover have either struggled the following season or have sustained an injury.
Is McCaffrey the latest victim of the jinx or is the Madden Curse a silly myth? You decide.
