In advance of the release of Madden 22, we recently took a closer look at the game’s franchise mode and broke down what will be some of the toughest teams for any aspiring general manager to try and rebuild should they be seeking a significant challenge. These rosters were the most devoid of any talent for a variety of reasons, whether because of aging veterans, poor drafting, or general salary cap woes, and all of those teams were likely to the last ones anyone would want to choose (especially in an online franchise) if they were trying to win a Super Bowl in the next few seasons.
This time around we’re going to be doing the exact opposite by exploring the NFL teams that look to be most attractive options available to assume control of when playing franchise mode in Madden 22. With these teams on the precipice of success (if they haven’t already been enjoying it), their rosters have been assembled in such a way to give them the best possible chance of winning the next Super Bowl. But that kind of success is hardly guaranteed and is even more difficult to sustain, so we will offer some suggestions on what will need to be done behind the scenes in the next few years in order to keep these teams on top.
Without further delay, here are the eight best franchise mode teams and how to keep them moving along in their quest to win it all.
Kansas City Chiefs
They may have lost to the Bucs in the Super Bowl, but you could easily argue that the Chiefs still have the brighter future because they have Patrick Mahomes, a young generational talent at quarterback who’s under contract for a long time. He has the ability to make everyone surrounding him look better than they actually are, and he can keep the Chiefs in any game because he’s capable of putting up a lot of points should they need to get into a shootout.
However, anyone who watched the Super Bowl and witnessed Mahomes running for his life on almost every play will likely understand that if you’re in charge of of the Chiefs in Madden 22, you’ll need to keep him better protected and continue to make the offensive line a priority (that’s why the team went out and acquired left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. in the offseason). The fact that the Chiefs were seemingly incapable of getting sustained pressure on someone as immobile as Brady in the Super Bowl should also be a sign that perhaps the team is in need of another elite pass rusher who’s capable of ending drives and getting the ball back in the hands of Mahomes to score points.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Who wouldn’t want to be the reigning Super Bowl champions in Madden 22, especially when you consider the nucleus of young talent the team has put in place for the future? Without any real significant losses during the offseason from a roster that just went out and proved it can not only compete with but actually defeat the best teams in the league, the Bucs seem poised to make another run at the Super Bowl this season.
Beyond this season though, whoever is in charge of the Bucs in Madden 22 has to naturally think about the big hole that they will eventually need to fill at quarterback whenever the immortal GOAT Tom Brady decides to finally call it a career and wait for his enshrinement in Canton. While a GM is busy considering how to fill the shoes of perhaps the greatest to ever play the position, they’ll also need to think about signing receiver Chris Godwin to a long-term contract, as he’ll be playing the 2021 season on a franchise tag. Edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul is also slated to be a free agent following the 2021 season, however he may be reaching an age (32) where it’s time to think about replacing him with someone younger and perhaps cheaper to get after the opposing quarterback.
Baltimore Ravens
Because it’s so important to get the most out of players in the NFL while they are still on cheap rookie deals so you can spend more money to bolster your roster elsewhere, the Ravens are slowly watching a window close when it comes to quarterback Lamar Jackson. With Jackson’s rookie savings slated to expire in 2022 when he will then make just north of $23 million in an option year of his current deal, it would appear that the Ravens need him to perform as well in the playoffs as he has in the regular season, and they need him to do it now or else risk missing out on a valuable opportunity.
Looking ahead beyond this season, the good news for those holding the reins of the Ravens in Madden 22 is that as of 2022 the team will no longer be on the hook for the salary of the departed Earl Thomas, meaning that they can free up $10 million that’s on the books as dead money towards the cap in 2021. This kind of money could be needed to replenish the team’s pass rush on defense, where they are now stuck trying to fill the substantial holes left behind by departing Pro Bowlers Matthew Judon and Yannick Ngakoue — and those kinds of losses can take some time (and cap room) to fully bounce back from and stay competitive in the trenches.
Cleveland Browns
It was a long time coming, but the Browns finally shed their reputation as league laughingstocks last year by not only making the playoffs but actually winning a Wild Card game (and giving the Chiefs a run for their money in the divisional round). Interestingly, the Browns are in a remarkably similar situation as the Ravens. 2021 is the final cheap year of Baker Mayfield’s rookie contract, and the team will soon need to decide whether to sign him to an expensive long-term deal to fully commit to him as their QB of the present and future.
This might be even more significant for the Browns because their two largest cap hits for 2021 happen to be two players vital to the growth and success of Mayfield in receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. Simply put, it will be a challenge to keep this trio together for much longer (Landry’s contract expires after the 2022 season with Beckham’s done the following year) without needing to make some sacrifices elsewhere in order to accommodate the cap space.
The defense will also need some attention. Myles Garrett’s monster long-term contract will force whoever is in command of the Browns in Madden 22 to get creative and look for affordable pieces to place around him in the coming years.
San Francisco 49ers
It would be tempting to say that the 49ers suffered from a classic Super Bowl hangover in 2020 after losing to the Chiefs in the prior season, but the reality is that the team was beset by an almost unprecedented number of injuries that severely hampered any chance that they had of making it back to play for a championship. The team didn’t make all that many moves in the offseason, aside from signing center Alex Mack and letting Richard Sherman and Kendrick Bourne walk away in free agency.
The biggest decision that someone at the helm of the 49ers in Madden 22 will have to make is the one that the 49ers are attempting to make right now in training camp as they choose whether to stick with incumbent quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo or opt instead to start rookie Trey Lance. There’s no doubt that a long-term plan involving Lance would make a whole lot more sense considering how much Garoppolo is making and counting against the salary cap ($27 million in 2021) compared to Lance’s paltry rookie deal.
Beyond the QB situation, Sherman was not the player that he used to be in Seattle, and he had issues with staying healthy like nearly everyone else on the 49ers last year, but the team will still need to find a way to fill his veteran presence in the secondary.
Arizona Cardinals
It might be a bit of a surprise to find a team that finished just 8-8 last season being listed among my “eight teams with the best foundations,” but there’s no denying the impression that they’re trending in the right direction thanks in large part to the steady development of their young quarterback Kyler Murray. They’ve continued to surround him with some viable weapons as well, following up the acquisition of DeAndre Hopkins prior to last season with the addition of A.J. Green and running back James Conner this past offseason.
The bigger question marks for the Cardinals are on defense where the team went out and signed J.J. Watt in the offseason and are expecting to have Chandler Jones back (though he is unhappy with his contract and could be traded). Unfortunately, both of these players are on the wrong side of 30 (ditto for another free agent signing in cornerback Malcolm Butler) and aren’t likely to be quite as productive as they have been in the past for much longer. This means that they will need an infusion of young talent on defense at some point if they want to be able to stop anyone. The hope is that this has already started with first-round draft pick Zaven Collins stepping in as linebacker in 2021.
Buffalo Bills
After a stellar season in 2020 from quarterback Josh Allen that saw him flirting with MVP status, the Bills will circle the wagons in 2021 and look to get over the final hump by making the Super Bowl. Their roster doesn’t look all that different from last year, though they did sign receiver Emmanuel Sanders to give Allen even more firepower that should translate to even more points on the scoreboard.
Now that Allen has been locked up to a six-year contract, there’s no need for anyone taking control of the Bills in Madden 22 to have to worry about him for a while, and that means they can concentrate instead on other areas of concern. These areas of concern are mostly on the other side of the ball. Their pass rush could stand to be improved if they want to get sustained pressure on opposing quarterbacks. This would also serve to help a secondary that might still be another decent cornerback away from being able to provide the kind of blanket coverage they desire. In other words, they’re still probably looking for someone across from Tre’Davious White to help lock down the entire field.
New England Patriots
2020 may have been a rare down year for the Patriots following the departure of Tom Brady, but you can bet that any team with the kind of track record for success as one coached by Bill Belichick will likely be able to bounce back. Though Cam Newton may start at quarterback to begin the season, it seems like the team has most likely found its QB of the future in 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones.
With a lot of cap room to work with for once in the offseason, the Patriots went out and signed some impact free agents. These signings include receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, and the formidable double-barrel tight end attack of Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith. It also might be forgotten that the Patriots are returning starting linebacker Dont’a Hightower, who opted out due to Covid-19 last season.
Anyone assuming control of the Patriots in Madden 22 will be getting a team that looks to have been reshaped pretty effectively on the fly. The biggest concern could be simply waiting for Mac Jones to develop into a competent option under center.
