Madden 2013 Cover: Finalists Most Likely to Reverse the Curse

There are eight players still standing in the voting for the Madden '13 cover. And you know what that means...

Yup, it means that all of the players still alive in the voting are very much in danger of becoming the next victim of the dreaded Madden curse. 

So, Cam Newton, Larry Fitzgerald, Patrick Willis, Victor Cruz, Aaron Rodgers, Ray Rice, Calvin Johnson and Rob Gronkowski, you've been warned.

But you never know. The curse strikes more often than not, but it will miss here and there. The winner of this year's vote might just be able to beat it.

Of the eight finalists, there are four who I think have a good chance of reversing the Madden curse.

4. Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

I know what you're thinking. We found out last year that Rob Gronkowski is not exactly indestructible, as a nasty high ankle sprain limited his impact in the Super Bowl. 

But I like to think of Gronk as the NFL's answer to Conan the Barbarian. He laughs at your four winds, your curses and pretty much everything else. And whenever he's feeling down, he just goes out and parties until he feels better.

A man like Gronk should, in theory, be immune to curses. He has the strength to avoid many types of major injuries, and he's not going to fret if he happens to fall into a slump. 

It helps that Tom Brady is his quarterback and that Aaron Hernandez is his partner in crime. As long as those two are on the field with Gronk, Gronk can be Gronk.

3. Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers

Patrick Willis is not a man. He's some sort of mutant, one who puts all the different characters of X-Men to shame.

Since he began his career in 2007, Willis has missed just four games. When he's been on the field, he's wreaked more havoc than any other linebacker in the NFL. 

We tend to think of Willis as the Ray Lewis of his era, and that comparison bodes well for Willis as far as the Madden cover vote is concerned. Lewis was on the cover for the 2005 rendition of the game, and he managed to stay healthy and productive right up until the end of the season. He suffered a wrist injury late in the year, but still managed to make the Pro Bowl.

If Lewis can beat the curse, so can Willis.

2. Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Arizona Cardinals

Larry Fitzgerald is one of the few players in history to beat the Madden-cover curse without any red flags.

Fitzgerald and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu were on the cover of Madden NFL 10. Polamalu battled injuries that season, but Fitzgerald was just fine. He went on to record 97 receptions for 1,092 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Fitzgerald never fails to be productive, and he's proved to be quite durable. In eight seasons, he's missed just four games.

So if Fitzgerald happens to end up on the cover again this year, I suspect he'll be just fine.

1. Calvin Johnson, WR, Detroit Lions

Gronk tried to make his case for the Madden cover vote by Gronk-spiking a Megatron action figure—a thinly veiled shot at Megatron himself, Calvin Johnson.

If Gronk tried to do that to Johnson in real life...well, let's just say Johnson probably wouldn't allow it. Men who are 6'5" and 235 pounds don't take kindly to being slammed on the ground.

I also have no doubt that Megatron wouldn't take kindly to the Madden curse. If he happens to win the cover vote, he'll be fast enough to run away from the curse and strong enough to fight it off if need be.

Basically, he'll treat the curse like he treats defensive backs. Watching DBs trying to defend Megatron is, for lack of a better word, quite cute. 

They don't stand a chance against Megatron, and neither does the curse.