With the 2022 NFL regular season coming to a closeMadden NFL 23provides fans of football around the globe with hype and anticipation for the 2023NFLseason. Sure, some players prefer playing online head-to-head against others, while some enjoy the card-collecting Ultimate Team mode.
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The most hardcoreMadden 23players, though, will likely sink their teeth into the ever-improving franchise mode. It seems to add andtweak things every year, so it’s important to know what one must do to get the most out of the mode. It can offer hours of enjoyment and as with most things, knowing is half the battle.
Updated Jun 22, 2025, by Jerrad Wyche:With the 2022 NFL regular season coming to an end, there are millions of people who will look towards Madden 23 to get their football fix until the next season comes around in the later part of 2023. Starting afranchise mode in Madden 23may feel like a big commitment, but there are plenty of tips and tricks people can learn about that will help them cater the mode to exactly what they’re looking for. Optimism can be fleeting when cheering on an NFL team in real life, but in the world of video games, any team can truly contend for a Super Bowl any given season.
12Discover The “Why”
Now, any Chicago Bears fan may get whiplash reading this due to how former head coach Matt Nagy used the word why, but it’s important in terms of the context surroundingMadden 23’s franchise mode. Understanding why and how one wants to play the mode and what brings joy from doing so can create a healthier and more sustainable relationship.
Some people love management systems and enjoy seeing if they can turn around a team. Others enjoy playing the game of football and seeing what they can accomplish with the players they have. Everyone is different and once the why is known it defines a clearer path to enjoyment.
11Online vs. Offline
Those who enjoy playingMadden 23franchise modewith friends understand that online is the only choice. For those hopping in for a single-player experience, there comes a choice of going with an online or offline league. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, but for most people the best option is online.
Sure, accessing the mode when the internet or EA account functionality is down is only possible in offline mode, but that also means players lose access to tuning updates the game receives over time. These aren’t just gameplay adjustments, as former entries in the annual NFL simulation series saw drastic changes to systems and mechanics in franchise mode such as the scouting system.
10Know The Strengths & Holes Of The Team
Whether stacking stats or building a competitive roster is the focus of one’sMadden 23franchise modecommitment, it’s important to analyze and study the roster of the chosen team in order to know what can be improved on. A major thing is understanding depth and knowing when and how to move on from players that are wanting to be overpaid, or aging veterans who are quickly declining in quality of play.
Leaning into strengths like running a pass-heavy offense with a loaded pool of receivers and an offensive line that excels in pass blocking can drastically change the trajectory of a team and doesn’t take a whole ton of research and focus on the part of the player.
9Play As Much Or As Little As You Want
The beauty of playing franchise mode is that the experience can be tailored to fit what anyone wants out of it. Some people love playing offense but get bored trying to run a defense and thankfully the game has options where players can just play one side of the ball.
Others love performing in clutch situations, and they can simulate until the fourth quarter and take the reigns of the team from that point in the game.Madden 23franchise modeis not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it does have options and it’s on the player to explore and play around with the mode and find what makes their time with the mode the most happiness-inducing.
8Pick The Right Team
People who are die-hard fans of a singular team will find this part an obvious no-brainer.Picking a teamthat will keep the attention of the player is important, as single-player modes in sports titles can become boring and complacent if the player isn’t invested.
A good plan is to look at teams and see which ones have the superstar and young talent that most interests one’s particular tastes. There’s no shame in taking a contender either if the idea of competing for a Super Bowl every year is what would keep someone from giving up and abandoning a run in franchise mode.
7Learn How Scouting Works
The scouting inMadden 23has received a slight overhaul that builds on the system they’ve put in place in recent years. It’s a bit obtuse and, at times, feels as if the user doesn’t do much, but that can be a red herring.Setting up where scouts focuson regionally and deciding which collegiate athletes should be focused on can make or break draft boards. This whole process becomes a bit easier for fans using real draft classes, as they likely know which players they’ll be targeting, provided they have enough of an interest in football at the college level.
6Turn Off Preseason & Practice Injuries
Injuries, both in real life and inMadden, can be super frustrating. This is especially true when an injury occurs to a player that’s pivotal to the team’s success. Preseason games in the NFL are great for evaluating talent and building experience, but there’s no reason to risk injury inMaddenat this time in the offseason.
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Simply turn off the injury setting until Week 1 of the regular season to avoid these frustrations. Also, it’s important to note thatMadden 23also provides a setting to turn off practice injuries, which is highly suggested considering what the possible outcomes could be if it is left on.
5Spend Coach XP
Franchisemode inMadden 23lets players spend experience points they earn on certain upgrades to their coaching staff. These range in terms of what they provide, but a few examples are increasing the likelihood of certain positions resigning to the team or coming via free agency, development rates for certain positions, and even ratings boosts that can impact gameday.
Far too often, players let these points accumulate at the top of their screen without ever investigating what the point of them is. These points can go a long way in building a team and retaining talent that would otherwise sign elsewhere.
An exciting part about committing to franchise mode is the prospect of draftingrookies in the NFLDraft and molding them into star players. This year,Maddenhas done a much better part of providing generated rookie classes that feature a good crop of talent, but for those missing NCAA Football and wanting real college prospects, that’s also an available option.
By heading over to the community files menu, players can download authentic and accurate rookie class files that can be uploaded and imported into franchise mode. This means that the actual rookies that will be selected in the 2023 NFL Draft can be taken in someone’s draft of the given year.
3Use Updated Accurate Rosters
Few things serve as more of a bummer than spending 15 minutes setting up a franchise only to realize that dozens of players remain on teams they’re no longer with. Sure, to some, it’s irrelevant, and the focus is on their roster, but NFL fans are picky, and most want franchise mode to reflect what they’ll be witnessing in the current NFL season.
Making sure rosters are up to date and feature the right players is simple thanks toMadden’s community files menu, where players can upload and download rosters that range from being day-to-day accurate and others providing rosters filled with all-time lineups.
