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Christian McCaffrey was named the “Madden NFL 25” cover athlete on Tuesday, and he didn’t wait long to tempt fate.
Speaking with NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the San Francisco 49ers running back was asked if he was worried at all about the fabled “Madden curse” when he accepted the offer to become cover athlete. He didn’t sound very worried:
“No, I’m not superstitious at all about it. I was so excited, man. This was such an honor. When I first got the call, I was in shock. Its something I just never thought would happen to me. I never thought that someone would call and tell me I’m on the cover of Madden.
“So when I got the call, I wasn’t thinking about any curse, I was just excited. I think that stuff is kinda myth and whatever happens, happens. I’m excited to be on the cover.
Given McCaffrey’s injury history, those are bold words.
McCaffrey sits as the top running back in the NFL this offseason after leading the league in rushing with a career-high 1,459 rushing yards, plus 564 receiving yards and a career-high 21 total touchdowns. He has proven to be a perfect fit for the Niners, who rode him all the way to Super Bowl LVIII last season.
However, McCaffrey has had issues staying healthy in the past, playing only 10 games total for the Carolina Panthers between 2020 and 2021. Could appearing on the Madden cover invite more woes?
Let’s take a closer look at how it’s worked out for his predecessors.
Is the Madden curse dead?
Christian McCaffrey ain’t afraid of no curse. (Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
It is undeniable that the history of the “Madden NFL” has seen some of its cover athletes suffer down years or worse in the year after.
There are certainly some examples that stand out, such as Michael Vick (2003) fracturing his fibula and Peyton Hillis (2012) fighting strep throat and hamstring issues for a team that let him walk at the end of the year. But as you’ll see, the past 10 post-Madden seasons have been up and down, so here’s a closer look.
For scale, we’ll…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/christian-mccaffrey-calls-madden-curse-myth-after-being-named-cover-athlete-whatever-happens-happens-022723528.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-06-12 02:27:23
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