If you can’t decide which one of the 32 NFL teams to use in your first Madden 26 Franchise mode save, this list should help narrow down your top choices.
EA gave overhauled Franchise mode in Madden 26. The first step in creating a coach is selecting your archetype, and the choices are offensive guru, defensive genius, or developmental wizard. Your preference will dictate the abilities you start with, which is a new feature for this title.
From there, it’s up to you to build a staff of coordinators, develop weekly strategies, playsheets, and mold your roster as you see fit. On-field performances and how well you manage relationships with the GM, coaching staff, players, fans, and media contribute to your approval rating. At the end of every season, coaches are judged by their approval rating, so it’s essential to pay attention to every detail. For those who are up for a challenge, here are the best teams to rebuild.
Best Teams to Rebuild in Madden 26 Franchise Mode
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns roster is full of intriguing question marks. Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson is expected to miss most, if not all, of the upcoming season because he re-ruptured his Achilles tendon. There are also doubts about his future, even when he returns.
Cleveland’s front office is fully aware of that and responded in the draft by selecting Oregon quarterback Dillion Gabriel in the third round, and Colorado quarterback in the fifth round. Both players are intriguing prospects, and there is a possibility that one of them will finally end the agonizing drought of not having a franchise QB.
There is one sure thing about the Browns, and that’s Myles Garrett. The superstar edge rusher signed a four-year $160 million extension in the offseason, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Standout outside linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah also signed a three-year contract in the offseason, and Denzel Ward is one of the best cornerbacks in the league, so the building blocks are there for a successful rebuild.
Carolina Panthers
It’s been seven years since the Carolina Panthers last made the playoffs, but things are looking up in Charlotte. At one point, it looked like Bryce Young would never live up to being the first overall pick in the 2023 draft after being benched. However, Young retook the starting spot and showed glimpses of becoming a formidable QB.
Carolina put faith in its rising star by drafting an exciting wide receiver, Tetairoa McMillan, and also revamped the offensive line last offseason. On the other side of the ball, Derrick Brown is back after missing the entire previous season. He is poised to be once again one of the best defensive linemen in the league, and Jaycee Horn has proven to be a lockdown cornerback when healthy. The Panthers still have several holes to fill, but the potential is there.
Atlanta Falcons
Speaking of seven-year playoff droughts, Carolina’s NFC South rival, Atlanta, also has the same playoff drought. The days of Matt Ryan leading Atlanta on long postseason runs are far in the rear-view mirror, and fans have turned to a new face of the team in Michael Penix Jr. The league was collectively shocked when Atlanta drafted the Washington quarterback eighth overall after giving Kirk Cousins a massive contract in the same offseason, but the gamble paid off.
Cousins had a terrible start to the season, and Atlanta handed the keys to Penix Jr. It’s still very much a development project, but he showed flashes of being the guy. However, even if he doesn’t pan out, the Falcons are loaded elsewhere on the roster. Jessie Bates III is the best safety in football, Chris Lindstrom is a stalwart offensive lineman, Bijan Robinson is a star running back, and Drak London is one of the most electrifying receivers currently playing.
Tennessee Titans
After potentially striking out on Will Levis, Tennessee shifted gears and drafted Miami quarterback Cam Ward first overall in the 2025 draft. EA only gave Ward a 72 overall and a Star development trait, but there is still a strong chance that the Titans have a franchise quarterback on their hands. The rest of the roster is relatively weak, but Jeffery Simmons has game-wrecking capabilities at defensive tackle, and Kevin Zeitler is a reliable guard.
With that in mind, rebuilding the Titans will be much more challenging than other teams on this list, who have several exciting prospects and established veterans, but that’s what makes the challenge so exciting. From top to bottom, the organization needs a new identity and a new face of the team, and it’s up to you to solve that puzzle.
New York Jets
While Panthers and Falcons fans have it bad, the Jets haven’t reached the postseason in 14 seasons, which is tied for the longest drought among all professional sports in the United States. It finally looked like the corner had been turned after signing Aaron Rodgers, but that experiment failed, despite having a talented roster on paper.
In the aftermath of Rodgers’s departure for Pittsburgh, the Jets made a low-risk, high-reward gamble by signing former 11th overall pick Justin Fields at quarterback. Meanwhile, star cornerback Sauce Gardner and standout wide receiver Garrett Wilson both signed four-year contract extensions in the offseason. The Jets also have plenty of other talent to fill out the rest of the roster, including the consistently dominant defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. The talent is there, but if history has shown anything, it’s going to take more than that to right the ship in New York.
New York Giants
Staying in the same stadium, the Giants also have a daunting rebuild ahead without a sure-fire guy at quarterback. New York gave Daniel Jones six seasons, but he never proved enough. With two first-round picks in the 2025 draft, the Giants added to an already dominant defensive line by selecting star edge rusher Abdul Carter third overall and selecting Ole Miss quarterback Jaxon Dart, with the 25th overall pick.
Offensive lines will have their hands full this season attempting to contain the front seven unit, comprised of the likes of Dexter Lawrence II, Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux, and the previously mentioned Carter. That’s not all on defense, as Bobby Okerke, Jevon Holland, and Paulson Adebo are also exciting players on that side of the ball. And wide receiver phenom, Malik Nabers, should help make life easier for the rookie QB Jaxon Dart. As long as you play your cards right and make smart draft picks and savvy free agency signings, this rebuild shouldn’t be too challenging.
Las Vegas Raiders
The AFC West is arguably the most challenging division to find success in because the Kansas City Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid at the helm, Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert are leading the charge with the Los Angeles Chargers, and Sean Payton and Bo Nix are building something special in Denver. All three teams have franchise coaches and quarterbacks, leaving Las Vegas in no man’s land.
Maxx Crosby, Brock Bowers, Kolton Miller, and potentially Ashon Jeanty are foundational pieces that can help turn things around, but the roster has a long way to go to stack up against the rest of the daunting division. It’s up to you to find a franchise quarterback and become a coach who can go toe-to-toe with legends of the game.
Which team do you plan on rebuilding? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Forum.
In other sports gaming news, Rematch was one of the most downloaded games in July, and an NBA 2K25 player spent $32,000 on the game in just five months.
