Former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice has lost his NFL career for at least the foreseeable future, and now it looks like his virtual career is also being canned.
Fox Sports 1 NFL Insider Mike Garafolo is reporting that EA Sports has decided to remove Ray Rice from the recently released Madden NFL 15 video game during the Week 1 roster update. This will not only remove Rice from the Ravens roster, but also yank him out of the game entirely so he cannot be put on another team as a free agent. This shouldn’t affect Rice’s appearance in previous Madden NFL games.
Update: EA Sports has confirmed via Twitter that Ray Rice will be removed from Madden NFL 15 the Week 1 roster update that will go live by no later than this Friday.
With Ray Rice’s indefinite suspension from the NFL, he will be removed from Madden NFL 15. The roster change will take place by this Friday.
— Madden NFL 24 (@EAMaddenNFL) September 9, 2014
The move comes as no surprise after TMZ Sports leaked a video yesterday of Rice striking is then-fiancee and now wife in an Atlantic City casino elevator, knocking her unconscious. Baltimore acted swiftly after the video leaked to release Rice from the team, followed shortly thereafter by the NFL banning him from the league indefinitely. Clearly no one wants to associate themselves with Ray Rice in any way, shape or form right now.
To my knowledge, this is the first time EA Sports has removed a player from a Madden NFL game due to PR reasoning. They’re sticking to their “if it’s in the game, it’s in the game” mantra, though are sure to draw the ire of some players on this divisive issue.
EA Sports has not yet released an official statement regarding Rice’s status in the game.
Source tells @FOXSports1 that @EASPORTS will remove Ray Rice from Madden '15 as part of Wk 1 update. Won't be on Ravens or free agent lists.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 9, 2014
