SALEM, OR — Welcome back to our six-part series breaking down everything new in Madden 26 Franchise Mode. In Part 1, we looked at the new coaching archetypes and ability systems that bring depth and identity to every sideline. Today, we turn to something that affects every single game you play: weekly strategy.

EA has completely rebuilt how you prepare for opponents. With Staff Loadouts, Play Sheet Loadouts, and Trainer Loadouts, every week now feels like a chess match—with real consequences.


Loadouts: Your Strategic Arsenal

Each week, your gameplan is now broken into three key loadouts:

  • 🧠 Staff Loadout – Up to 6 slots filled with coach or coordinator abilities

  • 📘 Play Sheet Loadout – Up to 4 unlockable “mini playbooks” to supplement your main scheme

  • 🏥 Trainer Loadout – Manage fatigue, wear and tear, and recovery with weekly trainer abilities

Your available slots depend on your coach level. Veterans like Andy Reid begin with full access, while new custom coaches start with fewer slots and build up over time.

The best part? Each loadout adjusts dynamically week to week. Facing a pass-heavy team? Expect more coverage and blitz abilities to be suggested. Struggling to protect your QB? The AI will offer pass-blocking abilities as counters. You can stick with recommendations or craft your own strategy.

Scouting Your Opponent

Weekly prep now includes a matchup breakdown panel, where you’ll see:

  • Team vs. team stat comparisons

  • Key injuries

  • Star player cards

  • Coaching tendencies

  • Opposing ability loadouts

For example: going up against the Las Vegas Raiders? You’ll see Max Farias’ aggressive play-calling DNA in the preview, plus which coach’s abilities he’s bringing into the week. It’s like getting access to the opponent’s film room.

Even better, CPU teams follow the same rules. They’ll use your coach’s identity and tendencies against you. If you love the power run? They’ll load up on block-shedding and linebacker stack plays. This adds a level of realism we’ve never seen before.

Gameday vs. Season Abilities

One of the more subtle strategic twists is how season abilities work. While gameday abilities can be swapped out weekly, season abilities lock in for multiple weeks. Why?

Because season abilities impact long-term decisions—like player development, scouting, or recovery. You’ll need to balance short-term performance vs. long-term planning:

  • Rebuilding? Equip “Scout’s Honor” for deeper prospect scouting

  • Battling injuries? Go with “Practician” to boost training XP

  • Going all-in? Load up on gameday boosts and let your stars cook

This mechanic prevents you from min-maxing every week and rewards those who think ahead based on their roster and schedule.

Make Smart Choices—Or Pay the Price

It’s not just about loading up the best abilities. Each equipped item contributes toward:

  • XP progression

  • Knockout goals (lose tiers if performance falters)

  • Mastery goals (make upgrades permanent)

If you roll with “Passing Paranoia” and your defense gets shredded? That ability might downgrade.

If you succeed with “Heavy Sets” for three weeks in a row? You might permanently master Tier II and keep the bonus forever.

Success feeds growth. Mistakes have consequences. This is what makes Madden 26’s new prep system feel like real coaching.

Up Next

In Part 3, we’ll shift focus to the other major sideline figures—your coordinators—and the new Play Sheets feature that brings specialized schemes (Run N Shoot, Heavy Sets, Batch O’Blitzes, and more) directly into your gameplan.

We’ll also dig deeper into how coaches like Mark Miller (CHI) and Jeff Jarin (SF) can tailor their strategy week to week using these mini-playbooks.

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