Madden ’21 adds Kaepernick as quarterback option

Madden NFL 2021 is adding Colin Kaepernick, who remains an unsigned free agent after he started protesting police brutality as a San Francisco 49er in 2016 by kneeling during the national anthem, as a quarterback option in the latest version of the popular video game.

“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,” the company said in a tweeted statement. 

“Knowing that our EA Sports experiences are platforms for players to create, we want to make Madden NFL a place that reflects Colin’s position and talent, rates him as a starting QB, and empowers our fans to express their hopes for the future of football,” it added. 

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— Madden NFL 21 (@EAMaddenNFL) September 8, 2020

The company also acknowledged its own decision to remove Kaepernick’s name from rapper Big Sean’s verse on the song “Big Bank” on the soundtrack of Madden ’19. At the time, Big Sean blasted the creators of Madden over the decision, and the EA later apologized.

“We’ve had a long relationship with Colin through Madden NFL and worked through our past soundtrack mistakes,” Madden said in its statement Tuesday. 

Kaepernick has remained an outspoken activist on issues of police brutality and racial injustice since his last NFL game in 2016. The last time he was reportedly included in the video game franchise was in Madden ’17.