It is a widespread superstition that if a participant seems on the sport’s cowl in the summertime, they’re going to endure an damage or their numbers will plummet that season. In contrast to different curses, this one appears actual, significantly for RBs.
After successful 2023 Offensive Participant of the Yr, San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey graced the quilt of “Madden NFL 25.” He subsequently battled Achilles and knee issues all through the 2024 season, speeding for a career-low 202 yards in 4 video games.
Barkley’s damage historical past amplifies potential considerations. In his first six seasons with the New York Giants, the 28-year-old missed 21 video games due to knee and ankle points. Nonetheless, the Eagles’ elite offensive line may defend him.
Per Pro Football Reference, Philadelphia completed with the league’s most speeding yards earlier than contact (2,011) within the common season in 2024. (YBC measures the yards a runner positive factors earlier than being touched by a defender.) 4 of the O-line’s 5 starters return in 2025, together with proper sort out Lane Johnson, a six-time Professional Bowler.
Getting into Philadelphia’s closing regular-season recreation final season, Barkley wanted simply 100 speeding yards to interrupt Corridor of Famer Eric Dickerson’s season report (2,105 speeding yards in 16 video games in 1984). However Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni rested him for the playoffs. That would inspire Barkley to attempt to break the report once more in 2025.
On Could 28, new Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said the RB “seemed like the identical man” at the start of OTAs, regardless of recording a league-leading 345 carries in 16 regular-season video games final season.
For many who are nonetheless anxious in regards to the “Madden curse,” know it might be dropping its powers. Per CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, simply three of the ten cowl athletes from 2015-25 have been cursed. Amongst those that prevented the curse was Kansas Metropolis Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who received his first Tremendous Bowl the primary time he graced the quilt.
As a substitute of worrying about Barkley in 2025, the Eagles ought to really feel optimistic. There appear to be a number of causes he may prime his monumental 2024 season.
