Madden NFL 21 is getting review bombed pretty hard after releasing in August, mostly because it's just the same game as last year with new bugs. NFL 21 has the same menus, same story, and only adds The Yard as a new game mode, not to mention a litany of bugs and glitches.
EA is making headway on the bugs at least thanks to a steady stream of patches. One of those patches attempts to right a wrong that was done way back in 2017.
Colin Kaepernick is back in Madden NFL.
Madden fans hadn't seen Kaepernick since taking his famous knee in the 2016 season. This heroic act of defiance against police brutality and systemic racism left him unsigned for the NFL's 2017 season and therefore left him out of Madden NFL. EA even went so far as to censor Kaepernick's name from the Madden 19 and Madden 20 soundtracks.
But the times have certainly changed. The past year's national protests have swayed opinions both at the NFL and Electronic Arts. The NFL settled with Kaepernick after he sued the league for not signing him for years and even held a private tryout for his return. Although Kaepernick hasn't been signed to a team yet, there's hope that he'll play in the next NFL season.
And to build on that hopeful attitude, EA is putting Kaepernick into Madden NFL 21. He'll be available as a free agent with an overall rating of 81.
"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,” wrote EA in a statement online. “We've been working with Colin to make this possible, and we're excited to bring it to all of you today.
“We've had a long relationship with Colin through Madden NFL and have worked through our past soundtrack mistakes," the publisher added.
Although Kaepernick will not be able to take a knee in Madden NFL 21, his avatar will be able to raise a Black Power fist as a celebratory animation.
Source: EA, The Undefeated