Protecting your quarterback is one of the most vital tasks you have when playing offense in Madden NFL 26. Putting aside any injury risk to your most important player on the field, quarterbacks have the highest chance of fumbling of anyone. If they get hit when in the pocket or while scrambling for a first down, there’s a solid likelihood that the defense runs away with the ball in the opposite direction.
To avoid that situation altogether, you can utilize one specific mechanic in Madden 26: The QB slide. Just like quarterbacks do in real life, you’re able to give yourself up when running with the ball as a QB. This results in a safe slide, and it’s the best way to ensure you don’t fumble the ball while still getting the yardage you need.
To see how to QB slide in Madden 26, keep reading the guide below.
How To Do A QB Slide In Madden 26
The QB slide isn’t a difficult mechanic to pull off, but you can often confuse it with other mechanics that are possible when running with your quarterback.
To perform a QB slide, all you need to do is follow the steps below:
- When controlling your quarterback, scramble outside the pocket and make it past the line of scrimmage. You won’t be able to perform a slide if you’re still in the pocket or if you’re still seen as a passer with the quarterback
- Once you’re past the line of scrimmage and running with the quarterback, keep going until you’re a few steps away from being hit by a defender
- Before you’re about to be hit, quickly tap Square on PlayStation or X on Xbox
- This will result in your quarterback sliding to the ground. The yard line where you’re marked down will be the spot at which you initiated your slide
- So even if your quarterback slides for a couple of yards, you’ll only be given the spot where you started the slide. This is important to know if you’re aiming for a first down, as you want to try and ensure you go to or past the first down marker before initiating a QB slide
That’s all there is to doing a QB slide in Madden 26. The mechanic is best utilized when using a quarterback that has a high fumble chance, such as Lamar Jackson, or to ensure that a quarterback doesn’t get injured from a defender’s hit. However, you’ll likely use the mechanic the most when trying to pick up a first down. When I’m scrambling with a quarterback, as soon as I hit the first down marker, I’ll often do a QB slide to minimize the chances of something going wrong.
How To Dive In Madden 26
What about when a QB slide won’t be sufficient enough for first down yardage? If a situation arises where a defender will hit you before you reach the first down marker with a QB slide, then you can try a different mechanic to pick up some extra yardage.
That mechanic is a simple dive, which does carry a higher risk of fumbling the ball if a defender hits you while you’re in the air. However, diving gives you a better chance at securing a first down, as you’ll be marked down wherever you end up after the dive. So if the first down marker is at the 25-yard line and you dive from the 24-yard marker, you’ll end up with a first down. In comparison, if you QB slide at the 24-yard line, that’s where you’ll be marked down.
To dive in Madden 26, all you need to do is hold Square on PlayStation and X on Xbox. It’s imperative you hold the button, as tapping it will result in a slide. If you hold Square/X, you’ll dive and can pick up one or two extra yards than you would have if you got tackled normally or used a QB slide. As we said before, though, diving can carry a higher risk of fumbling, especially with a quarterback, so only use it when needed.
And that wraps up everything we have on how to QB slide and dive in Madden 26. If you want the best chance with a quarterback, make sure to check out our list of the best QBs in the game.
