While one veteran receiver – Steve Smith – came into the 2015 season expecting it to be his last, that’s not the plan for another veteran wideout, Anquan Boldin. Speaking to Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News, the 49ers pass catcher confirmed that he doesn’t intend to retire at the end of the 2015 campaign. “No, this isn’t the end,” Boldin said.
Boldin, who began his NFL career with the Cardinals back in 2003, turned 35 in October, and has dealt with some nagging hamstring problems this year. However, he has remained reasonably productive, even with the Niners not getting a whole lot out of quarterback Colin Kaepernick in the early going, resulting in a change to Blaine Gabbert.
After going over 1,000 yards on 80+ receptions in each of his first two years with the Niners, Boldin isn’t on track to reach those landmarks again in 2015. However, in seven games this season, he has caught 31 balls for 372 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and has been unfazed by the uncertainty at quarterback in San Francisco.
“In Arizona, one year it was Josh McCown, Shaun King, and then Kurt Warner, then it was Kurt Warner and Matt Leinart. It’s nothing new to me,” Boldin said. “It’s just a situation where you trust the coach and you trust he’ll put the best guy out there. And as a team you have to be behind whoever it is the coach puts out there. It doesn’t change your job or what you have to do.”
Despite the 49ers’ struggles this season, Boldin says he’d like to return to the team next season, after his current contract expires. While continuing his career in San Francisco is one possibility, Boldin could be an interesting option for contending teams to consider if he finishes 2015 strong and reaches the open market in March.
