Tom Brady Chosen For ‘Madden NFL 18’ Cover: Will He Be The Next Victim Of ‘The Curse?’

Tom Brady Chosen For ‘Madden NFL 18’ Cover: Will He Be The Next Victim Of ‘The Curse?’
Meet the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ and the man who might break the ‘Madden Curse.’ EA Sports picked Tom Brady as the star of ‘Madden NFL 18,’ unveiling the video game’s cover on May 12. After so many NFL stars fell victim to the game’s legendary jinx, is Tom doomed?

Maybe. If there’s anyone who can buck the “Madden Curse,” it’s Tom Brady. The 39-year-old New England Patriots quarterback has five Super Bowl rings, a dozen Pro Bowl appearances and more NFL records than fans can count. Yet, he’s never been on the cover of a Madden video game – until now. EA Sports unveiled the cover of the next installment of their long-running sports franchise on May 12, and look at that. Tom will be on the cover of every copy of Madden NFL 18 when it launches on Aug. 25. Preorders for the game begin on May 12, so fans will be able to recreate the incredible finish to Super Bowl 51 on their Xbox One or PlayStation 4.

“The Madden NFL 18 cover is a great honor for me,” Tom said in a press release announcing the video game’s cover. “Especially since I have been playing the game since growing up next to EA headquarters in the Bay Area.” As for the fabled “Madden Curse,” Tom isn’t worried. “I’m not one to believe in curses,” Tom said in the press release, “so I’m ready to take the challenge head on like always! It doesn’t stand a chance!”

Well, he should reconsider that confidence. Out of the 20 players who have graced the cover of the video game series, 18 have suffered troubled or abruptly shortened seasons, including Tom’s football BFF (and occasional WWE Superstar) Rob Gronkowski, 27. Rob, the cover star of Madden NFL 17, underwent season-ending back surgery months after his cover was unveiled. By the way, Tom’s cover marks the first time in Madden history that teammates have graced the cover in back-to-back years. Leave it to Brady to break another record, even when it’s about being the cover model for a video game.

Gamers who pre-order the standard edition of Madden NFL 18 will get their choice of an Elite player from their favorite NFL squad for use in Madden NFL 18’s Ultimate Team, as well as five Squad Packs (redeemable at launch.) For those fans who pick up the G.O.A.T Edition, they’ll get all the perks of the standard edition, but also the choice of one of five G.O.A.T players for their Madden NFL 18 Ultimate Team. Plus, preordering the G.O.A.T. Edition will get a gamer three-day early access to the game. Nice.
Fans who want to know all about Madden NFL 18’s new features won’t have to wait long. EA will reveal all at EA Play on June 10. They’ll learn all about the new Frostbite engine powering the game, and the new features and game modes available in Madden NFL 18.