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'Madden Curse' has technically already been broken by Detroit Lions legend

Should the 'Madden Curse' still be a thing after a Detroit Lions legend had a career year while being on the cover?

By Tyler Reed

Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford congratulates wide receiver Calvin Johnson during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons.
Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford congratulates wide receiver Calvin Johnson during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons. / Tim Fuller-Imagn Images
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It's summertime, which means football nerds are inching closer and closer to getting their hands on the new edition of EA Sports' popular video game franchise, 'Madden NFL'.

This year, fans have already been introduced to cover athlete Saquon Barkley, who is showing off his iconic leap on the 2026 cover.

Philadelphia Eagles fans may be hesitant to see their star running back on the cover of the game because, for a long time, there was this thing known as the Madden Curse.

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Yes, for some bizarre reason, players who earned a chance to be on the cover of the iconic video game would have a dreadful season in the same year. However, the discussion of a curse should have been dead and buried after the 2013 edition of the game.

That year, Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson graced the cover of the game, and later that season, Johnson did something special. Johnson would go on to break Jerry Rice's single-season receiving yard record with 1,964 yards.

The league has even added an extra game to the regular season since Johnson broke this record, and still, nobody has topped it. Believing in curses is fine, just ask a Boston Red Sox fan. However, in this case, Johnson put any "curse" to bed many moons ago.

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