I think there is some truth behind the Madden curse. In order for a player to be seen as ahead of the pack he has to put up statistics and plays that are abnormal on normal teams with balanced offenses and play-styles. Increased minutes or usage in a high impact sport like Football will cause what is probably a drastic increase in injury risk, as well as influence legal targeting where defenses stack in an attempt to stop the player in question, usually a running back or wide receiver.