The new Madden’s arrival gets closer every day, and gamers are already looking forward to what they want to do with the game, including the fun of customizing rosters. Operation Sports forum member Iteachpercussion is known for creating classic rosters and recently sought input on which seasons others would love to see translated into Madden NFL 26.
There are a lot of amazing teams and seasons through the years that would be amazing to get to play through, be they from before the Madden era entirely or simply seasons long-since past that would be interesting to bring forward to the newest engine. These are our picks for years we think would make excellent conversions.
Momentous Seasons
The first approach you might take when opting for a season to convert is to focus on finding seasons where interesting things were afoot in the NFL. This can create some fun dynamics to explore in game, and also feature some truly outstanding teams and players for good measure.
- 1966 – The Birth of the Super Bowl: For momentous occassions it’s hard to beat the first year featuring a combined championship between the NFL champion and the champion of its then-challenger and future partner the AFL. Capped off with the Green Bay Packers becoming the first ever Super Bowl Champions, 1966 is a unique and exciting season to step back into.
- 1983 – A New Competitor Emerges: While the AFL’s challenge to NFL supremacy ultimately ended in absorption into the larger league, not every second league has been as successful. Although the USFL may not have had the staying power of the AFL, it still had some outstanding players who opted to join the upstart, and a custom roster pack from this year would allow for some unique opportunities like USFL expansion franchises so you can face them off against their NFL peers.
- 1994 – A League Wide Celebration: The 1994 season was a time of celebration for the league as it looked back on 75 years of NFL football. That year wasn’t all about off-the-field pomp and circumstances, though, as there were some excellent teams of the mid-90s who would look great updated into a modern Madden engine as the Cowboys and Niners were still locked in a heated early-90s rivalry, the Bills AFC dominance finally ended and the Steelers were beginning their return to perenial powerhouse status.
Historic Teams
There have been some truly iconic teams through the years in the NFL, and recreating a season featuring one of these all-time units is a great way to travel back in time to experience these elite squads either by controlling them or trying to be the team that takes them down.
- 1972 – Perfection: No team in the Super Bowl era has ever pulled off an undefeated season other than the 17-0 1972 Miami Dolphins, and if you don’t believe us, just ask them as they’ll certainly tell you about it. Fan reactions to the annual cork-popping of surviving members of the perfect Dolphins team may vary wildly, but nobody can deny they are one of the most outstanding teams in NFL history due to their unmatched accomplishment.
- 1985 – The Monsters of the Midway: There may be no team in NFL history more iconic than the 1985 Chicago Bears. Not only did they have the kind of onfield dominance that gets you remembered for a long time, led by their punishing defense and 99-club contender running back Walter Payton, but also the kind of personalities and off-field action that gets a 30 for 30 made about you. Whether you want to control the Bears or take on their stifling D, that’s a thrilling proposition.
- 2007 – 18 and 1: While it’s true that no other team has finished a season undefeated, the Patriots can lay claim to being the first team to reach 18-0 on the year due to their need to play an additional two games. That all came crashing down at the hands of Eli Manning and the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, making 2007 a great chance to either go one better as the Pats or to take your favorite team and look to repeat the feat by denying an incredible Patriots team a Lombardi trophy.
Seasons of Change
We often reflect on sports leagues by eras, grouping seasons together by a team, playstyle or otherwise notably common point that hangs around in the memory. These seasons represent the end of some eras and the beginning of others to let you play through this time of transition.
- 1968 – Broadway Joe and the AFL Arrive: Two years into the Super Bowl era the NFL had asserted its claim as the dominant force in football, and Super Bowl III was not expected to change that. Joe Namath and the New York Jets had other ideas, making good on Namath’s guarantee to shock the world. You can try to replicate their feat with an AFL squad or opt to beat back the progress of parity by maintaining NFL dominance.
- 1979 – The Steel Curtain Closes: The 1970s belonged to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they sent the decade out with one last Super Bowl title before a dip in the 80s that would last until their 90s renaissance. Not only did this final run represent the end of one era, but the birth of the next one as it features a rookie in San Francisco named Joe Namath who would go on to transform the West Coast unit into the next Team of the Decade.
- 1998 – A Dirty Denver Duel: The Super Bowl at the end of the season may not have been the most thrilling, but the 1998 season still featured the final Super Bowl run of Denver legend John Elway and an Atlanta Falcons team that won over many neutrals in their Dirty Bird-fueled run to the NFC Championship. This season also sees the end of one golden era of QBs making its last big stage impact just in time for the Saint Louis Rams to usher in the new era with new stars for the new millennium.
- 2004 – A QB Class For The Ages: The 2000s in the NFL may be dominated by Tom Brady and Peyton Manning but 2004 is still one of the most loaded QB classes in history with three likely Hall of Famers arriving in Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton’s brother Eli and perennial Pro Bowler Phillip Rivers. Bringing in this year to your game lets you take over one of these men who’d go on to more than a decade of NFL success and see if you can replicate their success.
These are our picks for the most fun options for a custom roster but they are not the only intriguing NFL seasons. What year would you be most interested in playing a roster update from and did it make it onto our list?
