May 22nd, 2016 
Mark New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, the cover star of Madden NFL 17, has weighed in with his thoughts on the supposed “Madden Curse.” In short, he’s unfazed.
“I don’t believe in the curse,” he told Esquire. “I’ve never really believed in that type of stuff. And Odell [Beckham] last year, with the year he had. Calvin Johnson beat the receiving record when he was on the cover. Richard Sherman went to the Pro Bowl the year he was on it. So I believe all that’s in the way past. Now it’s future time.”
Perceived or real, the Madden Curse was eerily consistent years ago. In 2009, Madden NFL 10 co-cover star Troy Polamalu suffered a knee injury in the second quarter of the season opener. After a string of injuries, 2007 cover star Shaun Alexander went from the NFL’s Most Valuable Player to being a backup running back in just two years.
The list goes on: Madden NFL 06 cover athlete Donovan McNabb suffered a season-ending hernia halfway through the year. Finally, 2004 cover athlete Michael Vick missed most of the subsequent season due to a major leg injury–before he was suspended due to involvement in gambling and dog-fighting crimes several years later.
In 2010, it was reported that a movie based on the supposed hex was in development, though it’s unclear if it still is.
Gronkowski told Esquire that being name to the cover of Madden NFL 17 is a “dream come true.”
“And the cover features my ‘Gronk spike,’ which makes it even cooler that it’s my touchdown celebration on it,” he said. “It’s a blessing, and to be in that category with so many elite players from Madden covers–it’s just awesome.”
For the first time since 2009, EA Sports decided the Madden cover athlete itself, not with a fan vote.
Madden NFL 17 launches on August 23, before the start of the 2016-2017 season, and is in development for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.
For more on Madden NFL 17, check out the stories below.
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