In the Franchise mode, you are able to see the length of the contract left for players, and give them contract extensions if you wish. EA wants to keep it in the family, it seems. Gameplay in Madden 2000 is very similar to Madden '99 . Route-based passing lets the QB throw the ball before a receiver has made his cut. By holding down L2 while throwing, the QB will lead the receiver to where he should be based on the route he has been assigned.
Hot routes are basically audibles for individual receivers.
Before the snap, you can alter any receiver's route with a couple of button presses. The running game has been improved as well. The graphics have been updated as well, with new player models that actually correspond to the real-life counterparts. This means that the big, bulky blockers are actually big and bulky, wheras the small, lithe receievers are thin and nimble. There are quite a few new animations this year, like helmets popping off from hard hits.