For decades, EA Sports’ annualized football series, Madden, has featured a prominent NFL athlete on the cover. Just like any other sports franchise, it is an iconic tradition but Madden’s cover athlete holds a special kind of superstition: The Madden Curse. However, it looks like that Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes has truly broken the curse in a way no other player has.
For those out of the loop, the Madden Curse is something that is placed upon the cover athlete of the current year’s Madden. For the last 20 years, almost every player to grace the cover has been prone to traumatic injuries, major career losses, and other incredible bad luck.
On Sunday, February 2nd, the Kansas City Chiefs took home a long-sought-after Super Bowl victory with prized QB and Madden 20 cover athlete Patrick Mahomes leading the charge. Mahomes is the only Madden cover athlete to play in and win a Super Bowl in the same season of their cover appearance.
Former Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski appeared on the cover of Madden 17 which released the same season the Patriots won Super Bowl LI. The catch, however, is that Gronkowski suffered injuries prior to the big game and had him on the sidelines, meaning Mahomes had a lot more pressure to really put this curse to shame.
Patrick Mahomes did suffer some injuries early on in the 2019 season with a sprained ankle and a dislocated patella. Nonetheless, the 24-year-old persevered to become the MVP of Super Bowl LIV thanks to a clutch performance in the fourth quarter.
The midwestern NFL team cemented their victory with a final score of 31 – 20 after being down for the first 3 quarters. Mahomes struggled early on but led the team to a win at the end with 2 back to back touchdown passes.
Against all odds, Mahomes is the only player in the 20-years that EA Sports has dedicated a single player to the cover of Madden to play in and win a Super Bowl in the year of their cover appearance. The young up and comer continues to make massive waves throughout the entire sport, defining himself as a legendary player.
Madden 20 is out now on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
