[12] Quarterback Devin Wade, along with childhood friend and wide receiver Colton "Colt" Cruise, visits Indianapolis to participate in the NFL Regional Combine.
There, Devin's performance catches the attention of TV producers Ross Fountain and Julia Vasco, who want him to be the star of a series titled Longshot, which would follow the story of a player with low odds of making it into the NFL and turn him into an NFL Draftee, receiving the assistance of coach Jack Ford, the host of the program.
On the drive home, Devin reminisces about his successful high school career before his struggles at the University of Texas, which he left after just four games following his father's death in a car accident.
Annoyed by what he considers boring television, Ross arranges an exhibition game for Devin in front of NFL scouts, scheduled to take place in two weeks.
Devin is worried about the game, but Colt, who has been invited to the NFL Super Regional Combine, decides to join the show and help him.
Devin starts working at his friend's construction business, where his coworkers and former Mathis teammates remember their high school days.
That night, Devin is still working against his friends' interests as a Mathis High School football ceremony is taking place.
At the meeting, the president of the TV network that Longshot is on declares Ross' onscreen behavior inappropriate and leaves his fate in the hands of the player.
The two visit a military base in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, where Devin was stationed after enlisting in the Army following his time at Texas.
For the Legends Game, Devin's team is to progress through five challenges, with the first three based on moving the offense downfield from certain starting yard lines in an allotted time frame.
A flashback to his childhood days with his father takes place, where Cutter tells him while victory does not always occur, if one gives it their best, they have the right to feel like a winner.
Afterward, instead of Marino calling Devin, he is contacted by his favorite team's coach asking him if he'd like to join Colt.
Like Madden NFL 17, EA did not hold an open vote for who would appear on the cover, but personally selected and announced New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in May 2017.
The soundtrack for the game, which features 40 songs, includes Stormzy, Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, Imagine Dragons, Steve Aoki, Waka Flocka Flame, Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, Big Boi, Killer Mike, and ASAP Rocky among others.
Colt is played by Scott Porter, a cast member in the TV series Friday Night Lights and ex-high school football player.
[21] United States Army soldier and former Texas Longhorns long snapper Nate Boyer appears in the story as Captain McCarthy.
[13] Unlike other characters, Jim Miller and Pat Kirwan appear in the game as live action analysts for the fictional Real Football show,[24] as do players Kirk Cousins and Josh Norman in Twitter videos.
[31][33] In its 8.6/10 review, IGN wrote: "The shift to Frostbite doesn't refresh Madden NFL 18's gameplay much, but Longshot is a memorable single-player mode.