Quick question for NFL online betting fans; did you know that no football player who has been featured on a Madden NFL cover has won that year’s Super Bowl until Rob Gronkowski broke the “curse” in 2017? ESPN just reported that New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady has been selected to be on the cover of Madden NFL 18. This only makes him the oldest player to appear on the cover of the EA Sports game, but also saddles him with the responsibility to continue the legacy started by the Gronk.
- Year: 2001
Cover: Eddie George
Cover player’s team: The Titans lost the Divisional Playoffs to the Ravens. - 2002
Daunte Culpepper
The Vikings did not qualify to the playoffs. - 2003
Marshall Faulk
The Rams did not reach the postseason. - 2004
Michael Vick
The Falcons failed to make it to the playoffs. - 2005
Ray Lewis
The Ravens did not qualify to the postseason. - 2006
Donovan McNabb
The Eagles did not make it to the playoffs. - 2007
Shaun Alexander
The Seahawks beat the Cowboys in the wild card round but lost the divisional playoffs to the Bears. - 2008
Vince Young
The Titans lost the wild card playoffs to the Chargers. - 2009
Brett Favre
The Packers failed to make the postseason. - 2010
Troy Polamalu, Larry Fitzgerald. The Steelers did not reach the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Cardinals defeated the Packers in the wild card round but lost to the Saints in the divisional playoffs. - 2011
Drew Brees
The Saints lost in the wild card round to the Seahawks. - 2012
Peyton Hillis
The Browns did not make the playoffs, which will hardly surprise NFL betting fans. - 2013
Calvin Johnson Jr
The Lions failed to reach the postseason. - 2014
Barry Sanders
The Lions failed to reach the postseason again. - 2015
Richard Sherman
The ‘Hawks beat the Panthers in the divisional playoffs and the Packers in the NFC championship but lost Super Bowl XLIX to the Patriots. - 2016
Odell Beckham Jr.
The Giants did not make the playoffs. - 2017
Rob Gronkowski
The Patriots won Super Bowl LI (though the Gronk had little to do with that). - 2018
Tom Brady
The Patriots are the American football betting favourite to win Super Bowl LII.
People who enjoy American football betting fans should note that each edition of the game is released the year before; e.g., Madden NFL 2017 was released on August 23, 2016. Also, the Super Bowl for any given season is played the year after. For example, the Super Bowl LI, which determine the champion of the NFL for the 2016 season, was held on February 5, 2017. Having said that, NFL betting fans will note as well that Madden 2018 will mark only the second time that the same team is featured back-to-back. Before Gronkowski, Richard Sherman had come the closest when Seattle made it all the way to Super Bowl XLIX but lost 28-24 to none other than the Pats. Speaking of whom, the New England Patriots are the faves to win the championship, just like they were last year.