The list of players who’ve been touched by “The Curse” is vast.
“Madden NFL ’99”: Running back Garrison Hearst of the 49ers was the official cover athlete. He broke his fibula in the playoffs a few months later and missed the next two seasons.
“Madden NFL 2001”: Titans running back Eddie George went from standout to standing around, missing games with injuries and watching his production plummet.
“Madden NFL 2003”: Rams running back Marshall Faulk saw his streak of 1,000-yard rushing seasons end and dealt with injuries.
“Madden NFL 2004”: Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, maybe the most unstoppable player in the history of the game franchise, broke his fibula during the 2003 preseason and missed most of the year.
Donovan McNabb? Injured. Shaun Alexander? Injured. Peyton Hillis? Unproductive and soon out of the league. The most recent victim was 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who played just four games in 2024 following the release of “Madden NFL 2025” before bouncing back last season.
It’s much easier to list those who have avoided the cover curse, such as Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Calvin Johnson.
So Bears fans might want to start burning some sage, just in case. Thumb your nose at superstition now that quarterback Caleb Williams is on the “Madden NFL 27” cover? You’ve been warned. The other warning that should come with the game is that it’s highly addictive.
What EA Sports continues to do well is chase authenticity, which benefits football lovers on multiple fronts. EA’s “College Football ’27” feels collegiate. “Madden 27” feels a bit more grown-up and sophisticated, almost like a big brother, as it should.
There’s a timing-based catching system, which at times feels like pulling off a finishing move in a combat game. There’s a new tackling system based on how aggressive you want the hit to be. But the biggest change and most significant addition to the Franchise Mode is the persona engine. It’s like having the show “Hard Knocks” at your fingertips.
An NFL locker room is now one big family. In franchise mode, you as the gamer try to keep that family happy — or else see it swallowed up by dysfunction. With more than 65 distinct behaviors, a team captain can go from a foundational piece to a distraction in just a few days of contract negotiations gone bad.Get a deal done and it’s a breaking news alert across the league. Try to save salary-cap space for an aging linebacker who’s popular with the boys? Do so at the risk of a slow-burning mutiny.
Even better yet is that if you want to just play the games in Franchise Mode and stay away from all the locker room drama, you can hit the “delegate” button and let someone else deal with the behind-the-scenes headaches.
As usual, the Madden series brings back the pack-ripping Ultimate Team and Superstar modes to chase becoming the G.O.A.T., but it all comes back to improved game play and running the franchise. And that’s where this installment really hits on the details.
The stadium feel is enhanced. Even the calendar brings the gamer in. During Halloween week, the scoring graphics include cobwebs and pumpkins, just like a real television broadcast would. Weather is more of a factor than it was before, and communication for the visiting team is more of a hassle, as it should be.It feels like football. That’s why “Madden 27” gets a solid B-plus.
As for “The Curse”? Joining in the spirit of authenticity, I jumped into franchise mode, moved the Bears to Canton, Ohio (Hammond, Indiana, wasn’t available) and upgraded at quarterback by acquiring Super Bowl quarterback Drake Maye (92 rating) for Williams (90 rating) and a mere future draft pick.
Curse that.