Outside of the ever-popular Ultimate Team, Franchise Mode is what many players will flock to in Madden 24. There is a certain pleasure that comes with carefully building a team up and eventually leading them to Super Bowl glory. Some teams are already stacked with talent across the board and are ready to challenge for the Lombardi Trophy right now, or at least make the playoffs for a puncher’s chance. Others, however, aren’t as poised for immediate greatness and will require a full (or partial) rebuild before they’re competitive. In this guide we’ll go over the best teams to rebuild in Madden 24‘s Franchise Mode.
The Best Teams to Rebuild in Madden 24
For the uninitiated, a rebuild is a common practice in North American sports where teams gamble away immediate success in exchange for long-term success. Reasons for initiating a rebuild can come down to a variety of factors be it overspending or having an aging roster. Regardless of the reason, some teams need to be completely (or partially) torn down to start anew. And if this kind of challenge is one you’re down for, here are some of the best teams to rebuild in Madden 24 Franchise Mode.
Arizona Cardinals (71 OVR)
With an abysmal 71 overall team rating, the Arizona Cardinals are by far the worst team in Madden 24. Therefore, they’re perfect for rebuilding.
When you take over the cards, you’ll notice that your roster is not great. But you won’t be without at least some weapons. The young, talented, yet often injured quarterback Kyler Murray will be healthy and ready to go come the season’s start, and your defense will be anchored by superstar safety and 2-time Pro Bowler Budda Baker.
In this rebuild, you can go at it one of two ways:
- Keep Murray and Baker, and meticulously build a competitive team around them, or…
- Trade away the valuable Baker and Murray for draft picks which you can use to slowly build out your team over time.
Tennesse Titans (74 OVR)
Considering the Tennessee Titans have made the NFL playoffs two out of their three seasons, it might be surprising to see them on the list of best rebuild teams. However, upon perusing their roster, you’ll see the team is lacking firepower in a lot of positions.
Sure, they still have superstars such as running back Derrick Henry, safety Kevin Byard, and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins in the fold. But outside of that, Tennesse is devoid of any real stars. Veteran quarterback Ryan Tannehill isn’t getting any younger (or better), and your defense is all but Swiss cheese when it comes to marking wide-outs.
In this rebuild, it’s all about tearing it down and starting over. Start by offloading Henry, Hopkins, and Tannehill, and draft your way to glory. Time will tell if quarterback and second-round draft pick Will Levis will be a long-term option. But you have nothing to lose.
Indianapolis Colts (77 OVR)
The Indianapolis Colts were arguably one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments in 2022. Despite narrowly missing the playoffs in 2021 with a 9-8 record, the Colts were abysmal in 2022, posting a 4-12-1 record. So the time has come to reset, and they’re a great team to rebuild in Madden 24.
Luckily for you, the Colts are already sort of in the process of rebuilding. The team drafted former Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson in the first round and, according to rumors, star running back Jonathan Taylor is looking for a trade out of Indianapolis. Upon taking over, the objective is to offload Taylor, collect some draft picks, and build around Richardson. You can also elect to trade away defensive tackle DeForest Buckner for future assets as well.
Assuming Richardson pans out the way a first-round quarterback should, the Colts should be playoff contenders before long after careful retooling through the draft.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (81 OVR)
Unlike the other teams I’ve listed thus far, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don’t need so much rebuilding as they do retooling. Defensively speaking, the Bucs are as solid as they come, boasting stars such as Lavonte David, Vita Vea, Jamel Dean, Antoine Winfield Jr., and Shaquil Barrett among other solid talents. The Tampa Bay offense, however, is less than ideal.
Of course, the biggest void the Bucs currently have is at quarterback following the retirement of future Hall of Famer Tom Brady. Now, the team relies on Baker Mayfield and the largely unproven Kyle Trask under center. And while wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are as good as they come, the team’s lack of a true star quarterback — as well as a lackluster running game — stands to hurt the Buccaneers’ offensive output.
The goal here isn’t to tear everything down to its foundation, but rather to trust the process and begin retooling for another Super Bowl in the coming seasons. Use your draft picks on an exciting young QB, a highly touted running back, and a strong tight end. And before you know it, the winning tradition that Brady brought to Tampa could be revived.
Green Bay Packers (79 OVR)
After losing longtime quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets in one of the NFL’s biggest offseason moves in recent memory, the Green Bay Packers are one of the most curious cases in the league going into the 2023 season.
For one, the Packs have a star-studded defensive corps consisting of Jaire Alexander, Kenny Clark, and Rashan Gary. And they even have some weapons on offense which include Pro Bowl running back Aaron Jones and pass blockers such as Elgton James and David Bakhtiari. The problem is that Green Bay has nothing in the way of a passing game
Out of every starting QB in Madden 24, Jordan Love’s 70 overall rating is the worst in the league. To make matters worse, the Packers really have no receiving threats either. In order to return Green Bay to NFC North glory, you’re gonna have to draft future prospects at QB, WR, and TE in order to bolster what can be a super chippy side. But it’s gonna take some time.
That’s all you need to know about the best teams to rebuild in Madden 24. There’s a lot more to know about how to optimize your play. To learn more, check out our growing list of Madden 24 guides.
