EA SPORTS removing Jon Gruden from Madden 22 following email scandal

Following Jon Gruden’s resignation from the Raiders, EA SPORTS have announced he will be removed from Madden 22. After the former coach’s racist, homophobic, and sexist emails were leaked, the franchise is removing him to promote “inclusion and equity.”

In recent days, the NFL news mill has been overrun by Jon Gruden’s leaked emails. Amid a 3-2 Las Vegas Raiders season, the former coach and media personality resigned because he does “not want to be a distraction.”

The emails were discovered during an investigation into the Washington Football Team, with Gruden’s correspondences dating back to his days as an ESPN media personality.

In response to the context surrounding his resignation, EA SPORTS have decided to remove him from Madden 22 completely. Instead, he will be replaced by a “generic likeness.”

Jon Gruden to be removed from Madden 22

In an October 13 tweet, EA explained that they are “committed to taking action in maintaining a culture of inclusion and equity.” 

Further, “due to the circumstances of Jon Gruden’s resignation, we are taking steps to remove him from Madden NFL 22.” As far as those circumstances, they constitute a variety of discriminatory language used by Gruden in the 650,000 investigated emails. 

• Read more: NFL player offers to help EA fix Madden 22 problems

While the removal will not take place for some weeks, its announcement swiftly follows news of Gruden’s October 11 resignation. Some are already wondering why interim head coach Rich Bisaccia won’t be the replacement, but EA have yet to reveal additional details.