We're hoping C.J. Stroud isn't the cover athlete for Madden NFL 25

it's another year, which means EA Sports can disappoint a whole new generation of Houston Texans' fans with a subpar edition of Madden NFL. The once giant among video games fans has fallen into disrepair in recent years, as the franchise has prioritized micro transactions and making the player experience the least fun it's ever been.

The gameplay is far off from what fans' expectations are, but lackluster gameplay isn't the only issue fans have with its ease of access. Forcing fans to sign into an EA account every time you want to play is a great way to make sure you limit fans interacting with your game. These are just some of the reasons the franchise has fallen apart, but they aren't the reasons we're hoping no Houston Texans players end up as the cover athlete for this year's version of the game.

Historically, many have talked about a "curse" that follows the players who appear on the cover. Michael Vick appeared and then broke his leg within weeks of the game release. Daunte Culpepper and Marshall Faulk both suffered significant setbacks during the years they were on the cover. Shaun Alexander went from MVP-winner the year before, to being one of the worst running backs in the league the year he was on the cover.

Injuries and decline seemingly follow every star athlete to grace the cover of the game, as the game's cover athlete. That tradition started in 1999 with Eddie George and has continued on until the day. Now, we'll find out who graces the cover of the 2025 version of Madden, set to be announced on June 11, 2024.

We're just praying it's not a Texans' player. Though, not because of the aforementioned "curse". The curse isn't real and many of the stars who graced the cover of the game were simply older, having built their name and reputation over years, and a decline was coming.

The curse isn't the reason why. No, we don't want any Texans player to grace the cover for the same reason we don't want Hard Knocks in Houston. Or anything similar; it's a distraction. Yes, there has never been a Texans player on the cover, but considering the hype and expectation around the Texans this year, we'd like as few distractions as possible.

The schedule is going to get harder for the Texans. Not as many teams will be taken by surprise this year. The league has a lot of tape on them now. The team has to make strides to be better and having to lose one of your best players to press obligations isn't going to help the team be better this season than it was last year.

And if keeping someone like C.J. Stroud off the cover helps keep him healthy in 2024; what's the harm?