Colin Kaepernick is still without an NFL job, four years after he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. But the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback has at least returned to the virtual football field.
EA’s popular video game, “Madden NFL,” announced Tuesday that Kaepernick will be available as a free agent for users to add to their teams on this year’s edition, “Madden NFL 21.” It’s the first time Kaepernick has been available as a player since 2016, the last time he stepped foot on an actual football field.
Colin Kaepernick will be available to users in Play Now and Franchise mode.
“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 said in a statement. “We’ve had a long relationship with Colin through Madden NFL and worked through our past soundtrack mistakes.”
— Madden NFL 25 (@EAMaddenNFL) September 8, 2020
“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. We’ve worked with Colin to make this possible,” EA continued.
Despite the league’s reversal on its stance for players’ protesting during the anthem — NFL commissioner Roger Goodell now very much supports it and admits the league “got it wrong” four years ago — Colin Kaepernick is no closer to an NFL contract, with no teams showing any interest on the eve of the 2020 season.