Landing the cover of Madden NFL 25 is a big honor for San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, but is it also a major risk? The so-called Madden Curse has stolen the seasons of several athletes in recent years after they graced the cover of the popular EA Sports game. After news broke of his selection for this year’s game, McCaffrey weighed in on the Madden Curse and how it felt to receive the call about his opportunity.
“No, yeah, no, I’m not superstitious at all about it,” McCaffrey said on NFL Network’s Insiders. “I was so excited man. This was such an honor to be able to do this. When I got the call I was just in shock. It’s something that I just never thought would happen to me.
“I never thought that someone would call and tell me I’m going to be on the cover of Madden. So, when I got the call, I wasn’t thinking about any curse. I was just excited. I mean, I think that stuff is kind of a myth and whatever happens, happens. I’m excited to be on the cover.”
McCaffrey is coming off of a 2023 season with 1,459 rushing yards (a career-high) and 14 touchdowns. As a receiver, he also hauled in 564 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. McCaffrey won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award for his performance and helped San Francisco advance to a Super Bowl appearance.
It’s been a huge month for the 49ers star already. Last week, San Francisco rewarded McCaffrey for his standout play by extending his contract and re-setting the running back market with a new deal. He will now average $19 million per year. It’s an additional $8 million over what he was originally going to make in the first two years of his deal, plus an increase in guaranteed money, which is now up to $24 million.
Last year, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen made the cover of Madden NFL 24. It was his first appearance on the cover of the fabled game franchise and, unlike some of his predecessors, the “Madden curse” didn’t seem to impact his performance. Though the Bills didn’t make it past the second round of the playoffs, Allen still had another 4,300+ yard season with 29 passing touchdowns while playing all 17 regular-season games. He did, however, throw a career-high 18 interceptions.
More on Madden NFL Video Game Franchise
The game’s namesake, John Madden, earned the honor of gracing the cover of Madden NFL 23. It was a nod to his decades of contributing to the game of football. It also happened to be one of the most well-received covers in the history of the game and an emotional tribute.
Prior, Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady shared the cover of Madden NFL 22 following their battle in the Super Bowl earlier that year. Both athletes also starred on the cover by themselves in previous editions, but they joined forces for a memorable iteration that season.
Lamar Jackson took the NFL by storm when he became the Baltimore Ravens’ starting quarterback, and he was chosen to grace the cover of Madden NFL 21 afterward. Jackson remains one of the most fun players to use in the game, and it’s no surprise he was chosen for the cover of the game early on in his career.
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