Christian McCaffrey (Photo via Getty Images)
When it comes to sports, people fully believe in superstitions and curses. In the NFL, the Madden curse is a major one. It states that whoever is on the cover of the Madden video game will have a bad season next year, and of course, that was Christian McCaffrey this year.

Now, though, NFL fans think they have found another one that has some real evidence to back it up. It revolves around the previous year’s winner of the Offensive Player of the Year award dating back to 2019.

For five years, the award’s winner has been plagued by injuries the following year. In 2019, Michael Thomas won it, and then started just five games in 2020.

Then, it was Derrick Henry starting only eight games, Cooper Kupp with nine, and Justin Jefferson with nine.

The theory of this curse has only gained steam now that Christian McCaffrey, who has yet to appear in a single game in 2024 after winning the award in 2023, can be added to this list.

“Woah and here we were talking about the madden curse…,” said one comment.

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“This is wild! It’s crazy how the ‘curse’ seems to affect these star players after such impressive seasons. Hoping Christian McCaffrey can turn things around and stay healthy for the rest of the year! Wishing him a speedy recovery!” said another.

“The OPOY curse ruined Michael Thomas’ career…,” added a third.

It’s hard to argue against a theory like this when it has five straight years of evidence to support it.

George Kittle Says Christian McCaffrey Will Return

Currently, it’s sort of up in the air whether or not McCaffrey will be able to return this season, but tight end George Kittle feels confident about it.

“His lockers right next to mine, so I see him every day,” Kittle said, according to 49ers Webzone. “Christian McCaffrey will play football this year, so I’m excited about that.”

Christian McCaffrey’s Father & Former NFL Star WR Ed McCaffrey Reveals Exactly How His Son Suffered Achilles Injury That Has Kept Him Sidelined The Entire Season

Christian McCaffrey (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Christian McCaffrey’s father and former NFL star wide receiver, Ed, provided more details on the bilateral Achilles tendinitis condition that has sidelined the San Francisco 49ers superstar for the entire 2024 NFL season.

After the 49ers’ Week 1 home win against the New York Jets, Christian McCaffrey was placed on the injured reserve with an Achilles/calf injury. If a player is placed on the IR, they must miss at least four games, but there’s still no timeline on when the reigning rushing champion may return.

During an appearance on the “Ross Tucker Football Podcast”, Ed shared more information on his son’s injury. The elder McCaffrey revealed that Christian suffered his injury from “over-training” and cautioned his son not to overdo it:

“Tendinitis is an over-training injury, meaning you’re training too hard or doing too much, and it turns into tendinitis. If I would say that Christian has a weakness, it’s that he sometimes has to protect himself from himself, in terms of training too much and doing too much.’

Achilles tendinitis is described by the Mayo Clinic as ‘an overuse injury of the Achilles tendon, the band of tissue that connects calf muscles at the back of the lower leg to the heel bone.”

With Christian McCaffrey sidelined, Jordan Mason has flourished with an expanded role in the backfield. The 25-year-old has 447 rushing yards, second-most in football behind Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry.

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But there’s still no replacement for the all-world talents of a player like McCaffrey, who is a consistent threat for 2,000 scrimmage yards when healthy. Last year, Run CMC led the NFL with 2,023 yards of offense and 21 total touchdowns.

In the regular season, the 49ers have gone an impressive 22-5 with Christian McCaffrey in the lineup. They are 4-2 in the postseason with Run CMC, with two NFC title game appearances and a Super Bowl 58 berth.

49ers Need Christian McCaffrey Healthy For Playoffs

The 49ers have enough offensive firepower to get by without McCaffrey in the regular season, namely Mason, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle and the surprising Jauan Jennings.

For San Francisco, the main goal has to be to get Christian McCaffrey ready and healthy for the postseason. He can single-handedly take over games as a runner and pass-catcher, and it’s no coincidence that the 49ers have enjoyed two deep playoff berths since acquiring him from Carolina.