By Brian Boone
Halloween is over, but there’s another ongoing thing that can be just as spooky: the NFL season. For more than 20 years, the professional football league has been haunted by what looks to be a curse. Whoever is selected to appear on the cover of the annual Madden NFL video game seems to shortly thereafter suffer inexplicable injury or career failure. What’s going on here?
Garrison Hearst
While legendary coach and commentator John Madden appeared on some editions of the first iteration of the game, Madden NFL 99, released in late 1998, the San Francisco 49ers running back’s image appeared on others. Madden was fine; a few months later, Hearst severely broke his ankle in a playoff game. He was sidelined for two seasons after surgical complications led to osteonecrosis, or bone death, in his foot.
Barry Sanders
On account of how he’s inarguably one of the greatest running backs ever, Sanders made the cover of Madden NFL 2000 in 1999. And then he abruptly retired at the age of 30 with no reason given at the time. He later said it was because he was frustrated playing for the perpetually losing Detroit Lions.
Eddie George
The Tennessee Titans running back had the best season of his career in 1999, leading to his selection as the cover model for Madden NFL 2001 in 2000. He had another great year, but then in the Titans’ first playoff game that season, he bobbled an easy catch and lost it to a Baltimore Ravens lineman who ran it back for a touchdown to win the game. George’s career never recovered, and he was out of the NFL by 2004.
Dante Culpepper
Before he was asked to be on Madden NFL 2002, the Minnesota Vikings quarterback took his team to the NFC Championship game. After he posed, his Vikings went 4-7, Culpepper hurt his knee, and was out for the rest of the season.
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Marshall Faulk
After appearing on Madden NFL 2003, St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk injured his ankle, had a career-worst season, and his team went 7-9. Faulk’s numbers never improved, and two years later he retired.
Michael Vick
His face graced Madden NFL 2004. In the fall of 2003, Vick broke his leg in a pre-season game; he didn’t come back until game no. 11, at which point, his Atlanta Falcons were 3-7.
The Baltimore Ravens linebacker, a Defensive Player of the Year and MVP of the Super Bowl had an awful 2004-2005 season, which correlated with his face on Madden NFL 2005 — he missed most of it due to a broken wrist.
Vince Young
In 2007, during his reign as the cover man on Madden NFL 2008, the Titans quarterback got hurt in game five and missed games for the first time in his entire life. He recovered in time for the playoffs, threw no touchdowns, and the team lost. The next year, he broke his knee in the first game and lost his starting spot.
Peyton Hills
In the 2010-2011 season, running back Peyton Hills had 1,000 rushing yards as a second-stringer. After making the cover of Madden NFL 2012, he was out for half the season with an injury and never put up star numbers again.
Christian McCaffrey
The San Francisco 49ers quarterback was terrific in 2023, named Offensive Player of the Year by multiple organizations and leading his team to the Super Bowl, which it lost by just three points. The logical choice for Madden NFL 2025 cover status the next year, he was diagnosed with Achillies tendinitis and missed 13 games.
Saquon Barkley
In the 2024-25 season, the Philadelphia Eagles running back rushed for 2,000 yards and won a Super Bowl. In 2025, he graced Madden NFL 2026, and he had a pretty good season until Week 4, when he suffered a knee injury. And then he hurt his shoulder and was examined for a concussion in Week 7. And then he left the field in Week 8 after suffering a groin injury.when he left the field of his own accord after suffering a groin injury.