Cam Newton accuses Madden of rigging cover count battle against Calvin Johnson: “Y’all played me”
Former NFL star Cam Newton was one of the best quarterbacks in the early-to-mid 2010's, apart from being one of the most polarizing athletes. Whether he was bombing deep touchdown passes or breaking a few tackles while making the Superman signal, Newton was a fan favorite.
His early fame awarded him the opportunity to end up as a Madden cover athlete. Newton was a finalist alongside wide receiver Calvin Johnson, with the latter becoming the Madden Cover athlete for Madden 13.
This morning on Newton's podcast, 4thand1show, the former Carolina Panther addressed his disappointment about not getting to grace the cover of Madden. He also claimed that there was something suspicious about the process.
“I was multiple times on par to be on the Madden cover. What you didn’t know – it was in our contract that if I won, Madden would’ve had to pay me an addition[al] million. That’s why I didn’t win. Going back to the origination [sic] of Madden Mondays was because I was literally trying to show my skills in Madden.
"We turned it into a campaign for people to vote for the cover athlete. If they’re keeping polls and votes, I don’t trust it. Because I knew Calvin Johnson didn’t beat me in Madden."
Newton added:
“I was extremely disappointed in front of everybody and I was like 'Man, y’all played me because I knew I won. I wanted a recount.”
Christian McCaffrey will grace the cover of Madden 25
While Cam Newton could have been on the Madden Cover, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will be the cover athlete of Madden 25. McCaffrey also became the first 49er in franchise history to grace the cover.
EA Sports announced the news on Tuesday and the game will be available on August 16.
This comes after McCaffey led the NFL in rushing yards (1,459), touches (339), scrimmage yards (2,023), and total touchdowns (21). McCaffrey also signed a two-year contract extension on June 4. He reset the running back market with his new $38 million deal.
With McCaffrey being on the cover of the next Madden, some think he could fall victim to the 'Madden Curse' and could have a down season or get injured. Hopefully, this curse will turn out to be a hoax, for McCaffrey and his team's sake.
If you use any of the quotes, credit the 4th and 1 Show and H/T Sportskeeda