NFL fans have been worrying about Josh Allen after the Buffalo Bills quarterback was revealed as the Madden 24 cover athlete.
Numerous NFL superstars who received the honor struggled the following season, often suffering injuries – a phenomenon now known as the Madden curse.
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The start of the curse is attributed to San Francisco 49ers running back Garrison Hearst, who appeared on the cover of Madden 99.
A few months after EA Sports released the game, Hearst broke his leg in a divisional playoff clash against the Atlanta Falcons.
The NFL star missed the next two seasons due to complications following his surgery.
Detroit Lions icon Barry Sanders replaced Hearst as the cover athlete for Madden 2000 – and would never play another NFL game again.
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Luckily, Sanders didn't suffer a career-ending injury but unexpectedly decided to retire from football amid the Lions' decline.
The curse also struck the likes of Peyton Hillis and Rob Gronkowski.
And so when it was announced Wednesday that Allen would appear on the cover of Madden 24, NFL fans kept the Bills star in their thoughts.
"Well looks like I’m not drafting Josh Allen in fantasy this year," one wrote.
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"What has he done to deserve this," another tweeted.
"All of Buffalo knowing the curse is coming," a third added.
Allen, on the contrary, seemed ecstatic after the announcement.
"A childhood dream come true," the quarterback tweeted, attaching pictures of the standard and deluxe edition versions of the cover.
Fortunately for Allen, the curse hasn't struck much over the past few years.
Patrick Mahomes even won his first Super Bowl title after gracing the cover of Madden 20.
The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback did suffer a knee injury in the season opener that year, but it sidelined him for just two games.
EA Sports will launch Madden 24 sometime in mid-August.
