Will Tom Brady Be Cursed for the 2017-2018 Season?

He doesn’t seem to think so! Tom Brady announced that he would be on the cover of Madden NFL 18 titled the “G.O.A.T. Edition” while also poking fun at the “Madden Curse” and other superstitions such as breaking a mirror and walking under a ladder in a tongue and check video posted on Friday morning.

To understand the “Madden Curse” one must go back to 1998 when the first player on the cover was San Francisco 49ers running back, Garrison Hearst for Madden NFL 1999, he broke his ankle that year. Prior to this all covers featured John Madden, even this year saw two covers one with John and one with Garrison.

From there the curse snowballs, for the 2000 edition, the curse struck twice. Originally meant to include Barry Sanders on the cover, he abruptly retired which allowed for a new athlete to take the cover, Dorsey Levens. Levens and the Green Bay Packers played in two previous Super Bowls but Levens was bothered by a knee injury which led the Packers to finish 8-8 on the year.

Need further proof? In 2003, just days after Madden NFL 2004 featuring Michael Vick hit the shelves, Vick fractured his right fibula and only played in 5 games that season. The Falcons finished 5-11.

Madden NFL 2006 featured Philadelphia Eagles quarterback, Donovan McNabb. Coming off of a season where they lost the Super Bowl by just 3 points, McNabb would suffer a hernia in the first game of the 05-06 season. Though he went on to play for eight games he ended up needing surgery and missing the rest of the season having the Eagles finish in last place.

Brett Favre had an amazing 2007 season with the Green Bay Packers and retired after it, because of this he was selected to be on the cover of Madden NFL 2008. Then things took a turn. Favre decided he wanted to play and was traded to the New York Jets. Though things started off well for his new team, after a bicep injury he failed to put up ’07 numbers and the Jets did not make the playoffs.

In 2012 Cleveland Browns running back, Peyton Hillis was yet another victim of the “Madden Curse”. In 2011 Hills rushed for more than 1,100 yards, cut to his year on the cover of Madden and he didn’t even reach 600 yards. His production after being put on the cover was literally cut in half.

Brady will be the second New England Patriot to grace the cover in two years. Last year’s cover boy was Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots won the Super Bowl but Gronk missed it due to being put on the injured reserve for the entire postseason.

The New England quarterback turns 40 on August 3rd, will his age have a hand in any troubles he might have this season or will it be the “Madden Curse”?

Madden NFL 18 the “G.O.A.T. Edition” drops on August 25th you can reserve your copy now.
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Written by Kristen