For the first time, the Buffalo Bills will have a player on the cover of the Madden video game. On Wednesday it was announced that franchise quarterback Josh Allen will be the cover athlete for Madden 24.
The first John Madden Football game was made in 1988 and the Hall of Fame coach would be on the cover every year to start. Then starting with Madden 2001 (which was released in 2020) players were picked for the cover with Eddie George being the first player.
It is not necessarily surprising that Josh Allen is the first Buffalo Bills player to appear on the cover of a Madden football game. Right about the time players started being put on the cover of the video game, the Bills would begin one of the longest playoff droughts in sports.
However, those times have changed and the Buffalo Bills are one of the best teams in the NFL. They are regularly in primetime games and playing in front of national audiences based on their schedule.
One of the big reasons for their success is Josh Allen, who has developed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He has made two Pro Bowls in the past three seasons and regularly ranks near the top of the league in most passing categories.
Should the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen be concerned about the Madden Curse?
Being on the cover of Madden wasn't all good as a concerning trend would begin, starting with Eddie George, that was called the Madden Curse. Each year that player would miss significant time due to an injury or see his production take a significant hit.
Fortunately, that Madden Curse looks to have been broken recently starting with Patrick Mahomes, who was on the cover of Madden 20 in 2019. The other players on the cover since that year have been Lamar Jackson, Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes again.