Some players are simply more critical to a team’s success than others in Madden. Whether it’s because a team is lacking depth at a certain position or one player is vital to the success of other positions on the field, one player can absolutely make or break an entire team’s season.
Starting today, we’ll be publishing a new series of articles that showcase our picks for this “make or break player” for every team in the league. The articles will be broken up by division, and we’re starting with the always fun AFC East. In 2025, though, the AFC East is looking the most intriguing it has in years; Buffalo looks vulnerable for the first time in several seasons, the Patriots have loaded up on both sides of the ball, the Jets have a new QB, and Miami is… well they’re usually going to be competitive with a healthy team and if they’re playing in warm weather.
Below, you can see our choice for every AFC East team’s make or break player, and why that player is so crucial to the team’s success in Madden 26 and in real life.
CB Christian Benford, Buffalo Bills
It’s only fitting we start this list with the reigning AFC East champs for the past five seasons. Buffalo is coming off another heartbreaking AFC Championship loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, and while the Bills should be competitive as always, their time at the top of the division could be coming to a close.
Of course, the Bills’ most important player is quarterback Josh Allen. If he goes, the team will generally follow. However, this list is more about figuring out which player, aside from the star, could catapult the team into success or drive them into the ground by playing poorly. Our pick for that player on the Bills is cornerback Christian Benford.
During the offseason, Buffalo lost a few different key pieces in the secondary, making Benford’s play more important than ever. He’s set to go as the defense’s top defensive back, and he could 100% keep the Bills in some games by shutting down the opposing offense’s top receiver. However, if he regresses, it’s likely he drags the entire defense down with him. Not even Josh Allen could overcome the defense not contributing their fair share, and that might be enough for another AFC East team to squeeze in to claim the division title. If Benford can continue to play like a CB1, though, the Bills are still easily the favorite to win the AFC East.
Read More: Madden 26: 5 Things That Stood Out in Gameplay Deep Dive
LT Will Campbell, New England Patriots
Now let’s talk about one of the most fascinating teams to watch in the 2025 NFL season. After an abysmal 4-13 season in 2024, the Patriots reloaded in a major way. The team brought in a new coaching staff, signed savvy veterans and under-the-radar players, and absolutely nailed the NFL Draft.
More specifically, the Pats targeted their needs in the draft, and no need was larger than at left tackle. New England chose the top LT in the draft in LSU’s Will Campbell, and while it’s not fair to put so much pressure on a rookie, that’s how New England has set themselves up this season. We saw how much poor offensive line play plagued the Patriots in 2024, and that especially relates to quarterback Drake Maye. Maye was running for his life constantly after he took the starting reins, and most of that running came as a result of pressure from the left side.
Now, Will Campbell has to step in, provide stability for Drake Maye and the offensive line, and make sure the offense can utilize all of their new weapons. If it turns out Campbell’s arm length really is an issue or he just can’t keep up with NFL edge rushers, though, the Patriots’ season will fall into turmoil faster than Drake Maye can escape the pocket. However, if Campbell can truly be the answer at left tackle, we might see New England finish with double-digit wins given their easy strength of schedule.
RB Breece Hall, New York Jets
The New York Jets are a major question mark heading into the 2025 NFL season. They parted ways with QB Aaron Rodgers and replaced him with Justin Fields, who arguably has the most to prove out of any player in the NFL this season. However, unless Fields turns into an MVP-caliber quarterback, he won’t play the biggest role on the Jets’ offense.
Instead, that job falls to running back Breece Hall, who turned in a disappointing junior season after breaking out in 2023. While his stats weren’t too far from his 2023 performance, Hall just didn’t impact games in the same way as he did the year prior. This put more pressure on Rodgers and the receivers, and more often than not, that led to the Jets getting behind in games.
In 2025, Hall needs to be the best offensive player on the field if New York wants to succeed. While receiver Garrett Wilson is just as important to the Jets’ offense, he only goes as far as Fields does. Hall can affect the game in the running and passing game, and if he turns into one of the best backs in Madden, then New York could turn in a winning record. On the flip side, if Hall regresses even more, then it’s hard to envision the Jets’ offense being better than it was last season unless fellow running back Michael Carter takes his game to another level.
Read More: Madden 26’s New AI Traits Prioritize QB Play
QB Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
We’re kind of breaking our own rules here, as we previously said that we didn’t want to include a team’s star player on this list. However, the Dolphins are such a unique case, as they’re made up of two entirely different teams: one where Tua Tagovailoa is healthy, and one where he isn’t. When Tua is healthy and on the field without concussion effects or a lingering injury, you can never really count out the Dolphins.
Receiver duo Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle and running back De’Von Achane can absolutely take over a game with their speed, but without Tua on the field, they’re basically Corvettes sitting parked on the outskirts of a landfill. We’ve seen Miami completely collapse with a backup quarterback in the game, and while new backup Zach Wilson is better than Skylar Thompson or Tyler Huntley, he’s not going to get the most out of the offense in the same way Tua can.
While you can mitigate the loss of Tua in Madden 26 by calling certain plays, the same can’t be said for the real NFL. If Tua isn’t healthy at any point during the 2025 season, you can guarantee the Dolphins won’t be at their best. If Tua can somehow turn in a full season, though, Miami should be able to at least compete for a Wild Card spot in the AFC.
That wraps up our list of every AFC East team’s make or break player for Madden 26 and the 2025 NFL season. Would you change anything on our list? Let us know down in the comments below.
