Barkley on Madden 2026 Cover – Here’s How to Fade Saquon If You Believe in the Madden Curse

• Saquon Barkley is on the cover of Madden 2026
• The “Madden Curse” appeared to be fading until last year, when Christian McCaffrey was on the cover
• See Saquon Barkley’s odds, props, and totals for the 2025 season

The “Madden Curse” seemed to have vanished over the past decade as numerous cover athletes found success in the season immediately after being put on the front of the game. But it was revived with gusto last year when 2025 coverboy Christian McCaffrey had the worst season of his career.

It was announced earlier today that Philadelphia Eagles star and 2025 Super Bowl-champion Saquon Barkley will be on the cover of Madden 2026 (Aug. 14, 2025 release date). If you are the superstitious type, here’s how you can fade Barkley’s player props in the upcoming season.

Saquon Barkley Props for “Madden Curse” Season

The 2025 NFL player props for Saquon show a pretty wide range. His rushing yards total is as low as 1,400.5 at Caesars and as high as 1,500.5 at DraftKings, a massive hundred-yard discrepancy. Anyone looking to fade Barkley due to the Madden Curse should absolutely head to DK, where they will find not only the highest total but also the shortest odds on the under (-110).

When it comes to Barkley’s rushing TDs prop, the best option to fade the running back is once again at DraftKings, which lists his total at 11.5 with -110 odds each way. That said, if you take under 10.5 at Caesars, you will get a slightly better, even-money payout.

Last season, McCaffrey stayed under on every one of his preseason player props due, mostly, to bilateral tendinitis in his Achilles. The 49ers’ star played just four games late in the year, registering 50 carries for 202 yards and 15 receptions for 146 yards, before losing the rest of the season to a PCL injury.

Prior to CMC, the Madden Curse had ebbed, with five straight cover athletes having solid seasons, from Patrick Mahomes on the cover of Madden 2020 (led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory) to Josh Allen on the cover of Madden 2024 (threw for 4306 yards, rushed for another 524, and finished fifth in MVP voting while leading the Bills to the Divisional Round).

Past Madden Cover Athletes: YOY Performance

But there is still a downward trend among the athletes if you compare their year-over-year stats. And that’s not illogical. A player only tends to land on the cover after an elite season, often a career-best, and that’s hard to replicate.

Barkley has battled injury issues in the past. He played just two games in the 2020 season due to a torn ACL. But he’s been durable of late, playing at least 14 games each of the last three campaigns. He nearly broke the single-season rushing record last year, still held by Eric Dickerson (2,105 yards), finishing just 100 yards short despite sitting out the final week of the regular season.

Last season, Saquon’s first rushing behind Philadelphia’s top-tier offensive line, was his first time eclipsing 1,400 yards. His previous high was 1,312 in 2022. He also set a career-high in carries (345, 50 more than he ever saw in New York) and yards per carry (5.8).

Even with Jalen Hurts tush-pushing his way to 14 rushing TDs, Saquon also managed to set a new career-high in rushing TDs with 13. He never scored more than 11 rushing touchdowns with the Giants.