and those are both high-variability categories. Throw in the fact that season-ending injury is a higher probability for NFL players, and that explains most of what we see as the curse.

For instance, last year's cover was Saquon, and while he had a passable 2025, it obviously didn't come close to his 2024. Does that count as cursed?

QBs tend to have better luck. The last "cursed" cover QB was Vince Young in '08, and that was just a player who never progressed into being a good quarterback.