For the first time since the 2016 NFL season, Colin Kaepernick is joining the Madden NFL 21 roster as a free agent. Kaepernick’s lengthy absence from Electronic Arts’ virtual gridiron started following his decision to kneel during the national anthem, an act the former 49ers player used to protest police brutality. Thanks to an update that went live for the game yesterday, Kaepernick now appears in Madden NFL 21 among the league’s top free agent quarterbacks.
EA announced the news in the following Twitter post:
Welcome Back, Kap! pic.twitter.com/fmq6SkMAVf
— Madden NFL 21 (@EAMaddenNFL) September 8, 2020
The tweet was followed by another, a text-laden image that began with the following note: “Colin Kaepernick is one of the top free agents in football and a starting-caliber quarterback. The team at EA SPORTS, along with millions of Madden NFL fans, want to see him back in our game.”
EA’s statement then went on to make mention of its troubled past with Kaepernick. In addition to his absence as an unsigned player in the last several releases, Madden NFL 19 originally featured an odd soundtrack “mistake.” A YG song, “Big Bank,” on the title’s soundtrack should have included a direct reference to Kaepernick. However, the player’s name was censored on the soundtrack’s final version. EA later corrected the strange occurrence, apologizing to YG and Kaepernick, while claiming it was a simple “mistake.”
Madden NFL 21 launched late last month on the PS4 and Xbox One. Its reception in hasn’t been favorable. In fact, most fans and critics are describing it as little more than a mess. Our review of the title made note of several glitches, dissatisfactory modes, and other common issues.
[Source: EA Madden NFL on Twitter, The Undefeated]
