Christian McCaffrey isn't concerned about any "curse" after the 49ers running back landed the coveted cover of the upcoming "Madden NFL 25" video game.
While some view the honor as a bad omen for both the player and the team represented on the cover, McCaffrey looks at it as nothing but a dream come true.
"Yeah, no. I'm not superstitious at all about it," McCaffrey told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Tuesday's episode of "The Insiders." "I was so excited, man. This was such an honor. ... When I first got the call, I was in shock. It's something that I just never thought would happen to me. I never thought that somebody would call and tell me I'm on the cover of 'Madden.'
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"So, when I got the call, I wasn't thinking about any curse. I was just excited. I think that stuff is kind of myth, and whatever happens, happens. But I'm excited to be on the cover."
The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year is enjoying quite the month of June, having also just signed a lucrative two-year contract extension that should keep in him the Bay through 2027.
McCaffrey served as a catalyst for San Francisco's already elite offense after the Carolina Panthers traded him to the 49ers in October 2022, helping quarterback Brock Purdy and Co. reach the NFC Championship Game that season and then Super Bowl LVIII the next year.
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In 2023, his first full season with the 49ers, McCaffrey tallied 272 carries for 1,459 yards and 14 touchdowns and grabbed 67 passes for 564 yards and seven more TDs -- proving he certainly isn't one who can be impacted by any hypothetical "curses."
Besides, plenty of NFL players have graced the cover of 'Madden' and gone on to find success. For example, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won Super Bowl LIV shortly after earning the honor.
Could McCaffrey be next to become the video game's face and hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy within the same 12 months? Only time will tell.
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