Which Madden entry first included real NFL teams through an official league license?

Madden NFL '94 was the first Madden entry to include real NFL teams through an official league license.

Released in 1993 for the Sega Genesis and Super NES, Madden NFL '94 secured an official National Football League team license. That agreement allowed the game to feature authentic NFL team names, logos, and uniforms rather than generic clubs. It was a major step toward the licensed, roster-based Madden experience familiar to modern players.

The license did not yet cover real player names. Madden NFL '94 lacked an NFL Players Association license, so players were generally represented by squad numbers instead of their names. The NFLPA license arrived with Madden NFL '95, creating the fuller combination of real teams and identifiable players.

This distinction explains why Madden NFL '95 can sometimes be mistakenly selected. Madden NFL '94 introduced official NFL teams; Madden NFL '95 added the player licensing that made rosters feel more authentic. The question asks specifically about real teams through the league license, making Madden NFL '94 the canonical answer.