Eagles and Jalen Hurts don’t need Madden curse

We don't talk about this as often as we used to. This may be the first time you have heard the phrase. There are also those of us who have owned a video game console for as long as we could play one. Fasten your seatbelts. Strap in ladies and gentlemen. We're discussing the Madden Curse. Why? Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts was named as a candidate for the game's cover.

There we were minding our business and perusing the internet for some entertainment, and we ran across a brilliant read by Bobby Kownack of NFL.com, Madden NFL 24 cover reveal: Five players who deserve consideration. You guessed it. QB1 got the nod as one of the five candidates.

While that may not seem like a big deal, again, some of us have been on our video game grinds since Atari was the hot item. We have been introduced to Nintendo, Sega, Playstation, and the Xbox, and the 'curse' never seems to go away.

If the Madden curse truly exists, Eagles fans won't complain that someone other than Jalen Hurts will grace the cover.

Prior to 1998, each installment of Electronic Arts' Madden NFL game featured John Madden's likeness. In 2000, Eddie George became the first NFL star to grace the cover, and that's when an urban legend began.

Since George's appearance, an NFL star has been featured in each installment with the exception of Madden NFL 23. An image of the game's namesake was the choice for that one as this was the first simulation to be released since the icon's passing.

Some have viewed the honor as a compliment. In their minds, this is akin to being selected to appear on a Wheaties box. Others speak of the curse, a run of misfortune that has included random injuries and declining play suffered by many of the men who were featured. Eagles great Donovan McNabb was even a victim.

Number 5 was featured on Madden NFL 06 following Philly's run to Super Bowl XXXIX. In 2005, he suffered a groin injury and found himself on the injured reserve before returning a year later, suffering a torn ACL in Week 11 of the 2006 season, and again landing on Philly's IR.

McNabb would see success again. The 2008 season featured a run that ended in the NFC Championship Game, but Donovan was never the same again after two season-ending injuries. His NFL career ended after two more years of inconsistent play in 2011. Sure, none of that is probably attributable to a video game, but no one wants to take any chances with Jalen Hurts.

The announcement came on June 7th. Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen will grace the cover. That's absolutely fine with us.

Call it superstition or being silly. Call it whatever you want, but after last season whet the appetite without delivering the Lombardi Trophy, we need all hands on deck for another run.

The Birds have a tough enough climb as it is. There's no need to add any more speedbumps to the road whether they be real or they be imagined.