The Buffalo Bills have one of the NFL’s best offenses, defenses, a solid fanbase and a solid coaching staff. But a decision by its star QB to grace the cover of Madden NFL 24 may have ruined its season. Josh Allen, still considered by most a Top-3 NFL QB, leads the league in turnovers (15) in any position group and the culprit seams clear: the ‘Madden Curse’.
Bills fans might drink Pepsi with buffalo sauce thanks to Josh Allen
Madden is american football’s most popular video game franchise, since its inception in 1988. With two decades of legendary Hall-of-Fame NFL coach John Madden gracing the cover of the game, then followed 23 NFL star players. Over the years, a pattern then started to emerge: the pros in question began to have horrid seasons, with some even leaving the league entirely.
What seemed to be a coincidence at first, then had hordes of fans believing in the superstition. EA Sports itself even publicly denied the existence of said curse, which shows just how popular the concept became.
Victims of the ‘Madden Curse’ throughout the years
The Madden curse started off with a bang with its first ever player cover in 2000: Barry Sanders. The legendary Detroit Lions RB abruptly retired in 1999 and never even stepped on the field that season. Three victims immediately followed in Eddie George (2001), Daunte Culpepper (2002) and Marshall Faulk (2003). The first lost a career number of fumbles that year, the second threw for only 14 TDs and 13 INTs, and the latter never topped 1,000 yards for the rest of his career.
Then came Michael Vick (2004). The speedy QB fractured his fibula less than a week after the game’s release, he then ended up in jail just 4 years later. After countless more victims, the Detroit Lions’ Calvin Johnson (2013) finally broke the curse with a career season, posting 1,964 receiving yards.
The overwhelming majority, however, saw a dire fate after they accepted being on the cover of the Madden franchise. Seemingly, one can already start adding Josh Allen (2024) to that list…
All cursed and non-cursed players on cover of Madden NFL
Eddie George (Madden 2021 cover) was one of the curse’s biggest victims.
- 2000: Detroit Lions RB Barry Sanders (cursed)
- 2001: Tennessee Titans RB Eddie George (cursed)
- 2002: Minnesota Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper (cursed)
- 2003: Rams RB Marshall Faulk (cursed)
- 2004: Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick (cursed)
- 2005: Baltimore Ravens LB Ray Lewis (NOT cursed)
- 2006: Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb (cursed)
- 2007: Seattle Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander (cursed)
- 2008: Titans QB Vince Young (cursed)
- 2009: Packers/Jets QB Brett Favre (cursed)
- 2010: Arizona Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald & Steelers S Troy Polamalu (1 of 2 cursed)
- 2011: New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees (cursed)
- 2012: Cleveland Browns RB Peyton Hillis (cursed)
- 2013: Lions WR Calvin Johnson (NOT cursed)
- 2014: Vikings RB Adrian Peterson (cursed)
- 2015: Seahawks CB Richard Sherman (NOT cursed)
- 2016: New York Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. (NOT cursed)
- 2017: New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski (cursed)
- 2018: Patriots QB Tom Brady (NOT cursed)
- 2019: Steelers WR Antonio Brown (cursed)
- 2020: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (NOT cursed)
- 2021: Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (NOT cursed)
- 2022: Buccaneers QB Tom Brady, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (NOT cursed)
- 2024: Bills QB Josh Allen (cursed)
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