Madden putting Kaepernick back into game

Colin Kaepernick might still be looking for a shot at an NFL return, but fans of the Madden video game series will once again be able to play as the quarterback.

EA Sports announced Tuesday that Kaepernick, whom the brand described as "one of the top free agents in football and a starting-caliber quarterback," will be available to use immediately.

Kaepernick will receive an 81 overall rating, according to Aaron Dodson of The Undefeated. That makes him the top-rated free-agent quarterback and also puts him in the top 15 of all QBs.

The ex-San Francisco 49ers standout has been absent from the Madden franchise since the 2016 season, when he began kneeling during the national anthem to protest racial inequality and police brutality in the United States.

Kaepernick has insisted ever since that he wants to resume his career in the NFL. The 32-year-old and his supporters believe he was blackballed by the league.

Rumors suggested the quarterback attracted interest from clubs during the summer after commissioner Roger Goodell's admission, in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, that the league had been wrong in its handling of player protests.

However, the talk of welcoming Kaepernick back into the NFL wasn't genuine and he hasn't received any signs of interest in months, a source told Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.