November 20, 2025
Madden 26 Thanksgiving Update Celebrates John Madden With Nostalgic All-Madden Event EA brings back classic Madden energy this Thanksgiving with a full All-Madden showcase, vintage playbooks, new abilities, and franchise upgrades
Growing up, Thanksgiving football and John Madden were inseparable — from iconic broadcasts to the legendary Turducken segments. Madden 26 aims to recapture that spirit with a special holiday update that brings fans right back to those classic moments.
The update introduces a full All-Madden Team showcase, complete with a playable matchup inside a Madden 26 recreation of the old Oakland Coliseum. To heighten the nostalgia, the event includes:
- The original Madden NFL 06 theme
- Classic John Madden commentary
- A post-game Turducken celebration
- A full All-Madden roster of legends and modern stars
It’s the closest the series has come to replicating the magic Madden brought to Thanksgiving broadcasts.
⭐ All-Madden Legends & Current Superstars
The Thanksgiving event highlights some of the most dominant players across multiple generations. This year’s All-Madden standouts include:
Legends
- Peyton Manning
- Deion Sanders
- Rob Gronkowski
- Jason Kelce
- JJ Watt
- LaDainian Tomlinson
Superstars
- TJ Watt
- Justin Jefferson
- Maxx Crosby
- Baker Mayfield
- Saquon Barkley
- Quentin Nelson
These rosters are built for old-school smashmouth football — exactly the kind of lineup Madden loved.
📘 Vintage Playbooks and Classic Strategy
The update also brings back offensive and defensive concepts from John Madden’s coaching era, including plays from the original John Madden Football game. Madden 26 players will be able to use:
- Old-School Football plays
- Hit ’Em at the Line defensive concepts
It’s a full throwback for players who love authentic, physical football schemes.
👨🏫 Master Motivator: A New Coach Archetype in Franchise Mode
Franchise Mode gets one of its biggest thematic additions yet: the Master Motivator coach archetype, inspired by John Madden’s leadership style.
This new archetype features:
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7 exclusive coach abilities, including:
- Boom! Run It Right at ’Em
- Make ’Em Cover It All
- Win With Four
- Jam ’Em Up
- Teach ’Em Up
- All-Madden Effort
- Find the Right Guy
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Two unique playsheets
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Access to the update’s new old-school playbooks
You’ll also have the chance to see if you can bring a championship back to the Raiders — just like Madden did.
🌟 Superstar & Ultimate Team Additions
The Madden 26 Thanksgiving update extends beyond Franchise Mode with new content across multiple modes:
Superstar Mode
- New storylines
- A John-Madden-themed Team Pass
Ultimate Team
- A new John Madden Champion item for your offensive line
- All-Madden Legend items
- New Superstar cards
- Challenges based on iconic moments from Madden’s coaching career
This update adds some of the most meaningful post-launch content the Madden community has seen in years.
🏆 Final Thoughts
For years, fans have asked EA to deliver deeper, more nostalgic, and more meaningful updates after launch — and this Thanksgiving drop finally feels like the answer. From classic playbooks to All-Madden tributes, Madden 26 captures the legacy of John Madden in a way that feels heartfelt and long overdue.