The Madden Curse: A Look Back on the Seasons of Athletes on the Cover

Being on the Madden NFL cover is something every NFL player dreams of, but its results are not to dream for.

The athletes that have appeared on the cover have all continued on to have unsuccessful seasons, so-called the "Madden Curse". From Michael Vick to Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu and Drew Brees, the Madden curse always comes out on top.

Here is a look at what happened to these football players after being cursed by Madden.

2004: Michael Vick

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ATLANTA - DECEMBER 24: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Atlanta Falcons looks at the scoreboard against the Carolina Panthers December 24, 2006 at The Georgia Dome in Atlanta,Georgia (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

Michael Vick turned around the 2004 Atlanta Falcons, taking them to their first playoff appearance in years, becoming a pro-bowler.

The season after, Vick broke his ankle in the preseason and only played five games that year, not to mention his arrest with Dog fighting.

2005: Ray Lewis

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 10: Ray Lewis #52 of the Baltimore Ravens warms up against the New England Patriots during the 2010 AFC wild-card playoff game at Gillette Stadium on January 10, 2010 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Ray Lewis had caught a career high of six interceptions, pumping out excelling numbers easily. Lewis was on track to set many defensive records.

After he became a Madden alumni, he failed to catch any interceptions in 2006. The Ravens failed to make the playoffs for the first time in four years, and ended the season with a torn hamstring.

2006: Donovan McNabb

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ARLINGTON, TX - JANUARY 09: Quarterback Donovan McNabb #5 of the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2010 NFC wild-card playoff game at Cowboys Stadium on January 9, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

McNabb was making a strong case for being a top quarterback in the NFL in the early 2000s. He had led the Eagles to the playoffs for five straight years, with a trip to the Super Bowl.

McNabb had stated that it “might be a trend, but I don’t believe in the curse at all.” and ignored the past history of the curse.

McNabb entered the 2007 season with a painful groin injury that could take months to heal. McNabb would play eight more games before he further injured it, making the decision to have surgery.

McNabb would not play another down that season.

2007: Shaun Alexander

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CLEVELAND - NOVEMBER 04: Shaun Alexander #37 of the Seattle Seahawks runs against the Cleveland Browns on November 4, 2007 at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Browns defeated the Seahawks 33-30 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty

The Seattle Seahawks running back had a breakout season, leading the Seahawks to the playoffs and a Super Bowl appearance.

The next season, Alexander returned to break his foot in week three, and missed several games. After returning, he never became what he once was in 2007.

2008: Vince Young

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SEATTLE - AUGUST 14: Quarterback Vince Young #10 of the Tennessee Titans passes during the preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks at Qwest Field on August 14, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

LaDanian Tomlinson was the one who was originally approached by EA Sports, but after plenty of websites and petitions were set up to keep him from signing, he refused. It was not the curse that sent him packing, but the offer EA Sports made. The next season, Tomlinson went on to a record-setting year.

Meanwhile, Vince Young now had the Madden Curse under his wings. In 2009, Young suffered a knee injury that led Kerry Collins to take over under center.

2009: Brett Favre

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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - DECEMBER 28: Brett Favre #4 of The New York Jets looks to pass against The Miami Dolphins during their game on December 28, 2008 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

Brett Favre was featured on the 2009 cover of Madden in his Packers jersey, and then retired. The curse might have finally ended with a retired football player... Then Favre had then decided to come back, breaking the hearts of many Packer fans.

Favre signed with the Jets in hopes of making the playoffs. Favre had started out well, until tearing a bicep. Favre threw only two touchdowns with nine interceptions.

2010: Larry Fitzgerald and Troy Polamalu

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TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 01: Larry Fitzgerald #11 of the Arizona Cardinals gets tackled by Troy Polamalu #43 of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth quarter during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1, 2009 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by A

For the first time in Madden history, two athletes appeared on the cover of the 2010 cover. There was hope that at least one player would have a successful year.

Troy Polamalu started the season with a torn MCL and missed four games. He returned to play another three games before tearing his posterior cruciate ligament and sat out most of the season.

Larry Fitzgerald, on the other hand, had a good start to his season. He had over 1,000 yards receiving. Right up until the playoffs, a rib injury forced Fitzgerald to miss the post-season and the Pro Bowl.

2011: Drew Brees

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NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 27: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints in action against the San Diego Chargers at the Louisiana Superdome on August 27, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

The Madden Curse continues to dominate over the players that are selected for the covers. But this year, it was different. Unlike every other year of Madden, the cover athlete was selected by the fans.

Drew Brees dominated last year, winning the Super Bowl, and becoming the MVP.

We will see if the Madden curse continues on, or if it finally ends with a dominant quarterback at its hands.