SANTA CLARA — Seeing running back Christian McCaffrey as the cover athlete for the “Madden 25” video game sparked mixed emotions from 49ers fans.
On one hand, the image of the San Francisco star running through a herd of Las Vegas Raider defenders was both incredible and comical.
But on the other, the superstition surrounding the Madden curse has struck a bit of fear for some in the 49er faithful.
“We as Niner fans have high expectations for the Madden cover,” said Christian Burt, a member of the Niner Empire Inland Empire chapter. “I hope the Madden curse doesn’t come into effect with Christian McCaffrey because he is a great player all around.”
The Madden curse refers to the at times alarming frequency of NFL stars suffering catastrophic injuries or performing well below their norms in the year they were featured on the cover of the wildly popular game.
Tuesday, EA Sports revealed it had picked McCaffrey for the highly-coveted image on its newest release.
The Stanford alum is the first running back to be on the cover since Adrian Peterson and Barry Sanders were on two different variations of the game in 2014. He is also the first 49ers player to grace the cover since Garrison Hearst in 1999.
“To be on the cover of Madden NFL is a career achievement and an honor I share with all of my teammates, coaches and 49er Faithful who have helped make it possible,” McCaffrey said in a news release. “I’m pumped to get back on the field this year to give Madden players more reasons to keep scoring touchdowns with me in Madden NFL 25.”
But as happy as some fans were to see McCaffrey on the cover, there was worry he might become the latest victim to the curse.
Players such as Drew Brees (Madden 11) and Antonio Brown (Madden 19) had career-low years after being named Madden cover athletes. Others like Brett Favre (Madden 09) and Donovan McNabb (Madden 06) suffered injuries that derailed their seasons.
The curse has often hurt running backs the most.
Shaun Alexander, Peyton Hillis and Eddie George all experienced big drop offs in production to the point where they were either backups or out of the league within four years of being on the cover of Madden. The curse sends shivers down the spines of some 49ers fans because Hearst was the first victim.
During the 1998 season, he became the first player ever featured on a Madden NFL cover, but broke his ankle shortly after the game was released and missed the next two seasons.
“When I first heard about it, I said ‘That’s not real,’” Hearst said about the Madden curse in an interview with Omaha Productions in May. “But then you start looking back and it’s like, each one of them got hurt when they were on the cover.”
But not all Niner fans are buying into the video game jinx.
Ryan Fregosi, a former Bay Area resident who now resides in Colorado, said he doesn’t believe in the Madden curse and that the high expectations of being the cover athlete can cause down seasons for the wrong players.
“The way I see it, guys get on the Madden cover because of how they played the season before,” Fregosi said. “Do they get overwhelmed with their status quo? Are they trying too hard and it causes a fluke injury because they are now getting double teamed? That’s the way I see it.”
The curse might be losing some of its power, too. Brown never recovered after appearing on the 2019 cover, but subsequent cover athletes – Patrick Mahomes (twice), Lamar Jackson, Tom Brady and Josh Allen – continued to shine. Madden graced the cover in 2023 as a tribute after the former coaching and broadcasting legend died in December, 2021.
When asked if he had thought about the curse before accepting to be the cover athlete, McCaffrey didn’t sound too worried.
“No, I’m not superstitious at all about it,” McCaffrey told NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. “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.”
While having different opinions, both Burt and Fregosi agreed that if any running back could withstand the Madden curse, it’s McCaffrey.
The seven-year veteran rushed for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns last season en route to an NFL Offensive Player of the Year award. Just over a week ago, San Francisco signed McCaffrey to a two-year, $38 million extension.
“I feel like going into this season, he could be the first running back to break this curse,” Burt said. “Ever since he’s come to San Francisco, he’s been nothing but productive. Hopefully getting us a ring will officially break that curse.”
