The Madden Curse Comes for Chicago: Is Caleb Williams Next?

Written By: Daunte Lee Jones

College Football, Film, & MMA Contributor

Chicago Bears Superstar Quarterback featured on the cover of Madden 27.

The Madden Curse affecting the cover athlete throughout the years.

Caleb Williams raising his fist after a win in the regular season.

Can Caleb Williams Outplay The Madden Curse? Caleb Williams being named the Madden 27 cover athlete means more than we think. Being named a Madden cover athlete is one of the most prestigious titles a player can be awarded with. Since the tradition began back in 2001 with the legendary Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George becoming the first NFL player to appear on the cover, there have only been twenty-four different players to hold the title.

Though all had proven to be one of the most talented players from their respective seasons, what makes this award so unique compared to others is the fact that talent and skill are not the only factors accounted for. To be a Madden cover athlete, a player must also be marketable, have a dominant presence on and off the field, and have an influence outside of football in pop culture. In a way, to be called a Madden cover athlete is to be called the face of the NFL. So, with Caleb being named the Madden 27 cover athlete, we may be looking at a new face of the NFL.  

While the award brings recognition and prestige, it has a dark side we cannot ignore: its curse. In its twenty-six years of existence, many cover athletes have found themselves suffering through career ending situations on and off the field. For example, Madden 07 cover athlete Shaun Alexander broke his foot then soon retired from football afterwards.

Madden 25 cover athlete Christian McCaffrey played only four games in the 2024-25 season due to an achilles and calf injuries. In its worst case you can look at the Madden 19 cover athlete Antonio Brown, whose Hall of Fame trajectory was derailed by a litany of locker room disputes, sharp production drops, and his infamous arrest in 2025 for second-degree attempted murder.

So, as we go into the 2026-27 NFL season, how might we expect the curse to affect the Bears’ star quarterback? Taking a look at Williams’ last season, we can see flaws in his game and his team that might lead to his downfall. With approximately the same amount of passing attempts as his rookie season, Caleb’s pass completion rate has somehow dropped from 62.5% to 58.1%, which is below league average. Some may argue that regression is expected under a new and notoriously complicated offensive system installed by the first-year head coach Ben Johnson.

But considering Johnson’s status as an offensive coaching prodigy credited with turning a previously mediocre quarterback in Jared Goff into a potential MVP candidate a higher completion percentage should be the bare minimum expected. When adding the factors of Williams’ regressing completion percentage, the trading away of his number-one target in DJ Moore leaving him with unproven pass catching weapons, and the bears horrible pass rush which won’t be able to pressure opposing quarterbacks and cause turnovers, the picture becomes clear. Williams and his team will be forced to play in long shootouts where his accuracy will be exploited and cause crucial turnovers, leading to a mediocre season.

There is still hope for Williams. Players like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes have overcome the Madden curse to contribute to superbowl appearances in the season after being named cover athlete. All we can do now is wait and see if Williams’ will fall off like many before him or overcome the curse to prove himself as a new face of the NFL.

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