Rob Gronkowski Not Only One Who Should Fear Madden Curse

All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski will be the latest to appear on the prestigious Madden cover, and also come face to face to its infamous “curse.”

For those who are unfamiliar, over the years any time a player has appeared on the cover of the Madden video game, they seem to come under a large degree of misfortune, typically through a significant dip in production or personal injury.  Garrison Hearst, a Pro Bowl running back, appeared on the 1999 version of the game.  He broke his ankle in the playoffs that year and missed two full seasons after that.  Star quarterback Michael Vick was on the 2004 cover.  He broke his leg that season and played just five games.

Some argue though that the curse is a hoax.  There have been a number of cases where players had great seasons despite appearing on the cover.  In 2010, Drew Brees appeared on the 2011 version and threw for 4,620 yards and 33 touchdowns.  Calvin Johnson was on the 2013 cover and produced an NFL record 1,964 receiving yards.

However, people fail to understand that the Madden curse runs far deeper than the singular player.  Many times it expands to impact their team as well.  In 2010, Brees and the New Orleans Saints were defending Super Bowl champions.  Yet in the playoffs, despite having a better record (11-5) than the 7-9 Seahawks, they had to play the wild card game in Seattle and were defeated by the now iconic Beast Quake run.

As great as Johnson was in 2012, his Detroit Lions went from a playoff team the year before to 4-12.  A year later, Adrian Peterson appeared on the cover.  Not only did he miss most of the season due to charges for child abuse, but his Minnesota Vikings went from 10-6 to 5-10-1.  This curse is like a bomb.  It may miss the intended target but it’s still going to cause damage, one way or the other.

Rob Gronkowski has no idea what’s coming and he better be prepared for this one final consequence.  Even if he avoids significant injury, it’s worth noting that no team who had a player featured on the Madden cover has won the Super Bowl that year.  Sorry Patriots fans.