Saquon Barkley had an amazing season in 2024. Apart from being the best Running Back in the league, he’s had quite a long list of achievements as well. While recording 436 rushing attempts, 2,504 yards, and 18 touchdowns throughout the season (postseason included), Barkley broke the record for most rushing yards in a single season. He also displayed his excellence by rushing 100 yards for more than 11 times in the season for the Eagles. However, it seems that his streak of achievements is still not over. Even in the offseason, he has continued to achieve things. The latest addition to his achievements is to be on the cover of EA’s Madden 26, immortalizing his glorious 2024 season.

It wasn’t just the season that was immortalized, rather, it was Saquon Barkley’s backward hurdle. It was this unimaginable move that he made against defensive back Jarrian Jones in the week 9 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars that EA has chosen to keep on the cover. Thanking his close ones and displaying his gratefulness for their support, Saquon said, “I’m grateful to my teammates, coaches, and Eagles fans for their support, and I can’t wait to hit the field again to give Madden players more highlight-reel moments in Madden NFL 26.” It was during recalling that exact moment of the backward hurdle that Saquon Barkley also revealed a huge injury that he has suffered in his career, so far.

Saquon Barkley talked about it to an interviewer from B/R Gridiron in an Instagram post. When asked about the time he was hit the hardest in the NFL, Barkley recalled his hurdle. “The hardest that I’ve been hit in the NFL was the jump. When I jumped over dude backwards. One of the D-linemen like hit me. in the…Crazy.You know what I’m trying to say, right?“ he said while describing the hardest hit he felt while playing. The interviewer also subtly interjected, saying, “So right after the coolest moment in your career was the hardest hits of your career?” to which Barkley replied in the affirmative.

Barkley then went on to talk about what happened after being hit while making the move. “Yeah, if you see like I get up and I’m just like…I didn’t realize what I did until you actually see it. But I knew at that moment I was like, wow, that hit hurt. Like my back kind of locked up on me,” described Barkley while talking of the aftereffects. He also called his injury one of the “biggest shots” he has taken in a long time. However, this signature move, including the hit and his overall performance last season, also ended up bestowing him with another achievement. Being a part of the ’99 Club’, making him one of the rare athletes with a rating of 99 in the game.

While Saquon is happily celebrating his achievement of being on Madden 26’s cover and in the ’99 Club’, many have pointed out the Madden Curse. There might not be many superstitions in the NFL, but this one has existed for a long time. With many debating whether the curse is real or a myth, everyone is wondering if Barkley will be the next victim.

Saquon Barkley is not affected by the Madden Curse

As Saquon becomes the face of Madden 26, the whole world talks about one thing. The Madden Curse. The curse refers to the occurrence of players featured on Madden covers being seriously injured or going through a slump in that season. But the main question that remains: Is the curse alive, and is Barkley affected by it?

Coming off an impressive 2024 season, everything is going Barkley’s way. And so Tom Pelissero of NFL Network’s The Insiders asked Barkley if he believed in curses, especially the Madden curse? To which he denied believing in the curse and responded by saying, “Nah, I’m a believer in God.” “That’s my mindset, to be completely honest. I’ve had injuries before. I tore my knee, I stepped on a foot and rolled my ankle, and was out 4-to-6 weeks, and there was no curse then. That’s just how life works. You’re gonna have your ups and downs, but my mindset is coming in, work, do what I need to do. And the rest is in God’s hands,” Saquon Barkley added while talking of how he’s gone through worse and how that’s just a part of life.

While Barkley might not be one to believe in the curse, history has evidence to the contrary. Be it Garrison Hearst, the first player to suffer the curse, or Payton Hillis, who was turned from a non-believer to a believer. Recent examples of Rob Gronkowski and Christian McCaffrey, too, have made sure the curse lives and isn’t called a myth just yet. So it remains just a matter of time before we know if Saquon Barkley becomes the curse’s next victim…or no.