Just two weeks into Bills training camp, Former 49ers wide receiver Anquan Boldin announced his abrupt and surprising retirement from the NFL after 14 impressive seasons. Boldin provided a statement to NFL reporter Jim Trotter that detailed his reasons for retiring, pointing to a desire to “make the larger fight for human rights a priority,” stating that his “life’s purpose is bigger than football.”
Statement from Anquan Boldin on his decision to retire: pic.twitter.com/z19jekK33R
— Jim Trotter (@JimTrotter_NFL) August 21, 2017
Boldin, 36, finishes his career with an impressive, and potentially Hall-of-Fame resume, finishing with 1,076 receptions (ninth all-time), 13,779 yards receiving (14th all-time), and 83 touchdowns caught (23rd all-time). Boldin also made the Pro Bowl three times, and was a key member of the Super Bowl winning Baltimore Ravens in 2012.
Anquan Boldin
1,076 catches
13,779 yards
82 TDs
Offensive Rookie of Year
Super Bowl champion
3 Pro Bowls
2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year pic.twitter.com/z9Q7AOcgHK— Randall Liu (@RLiuNFL) August 21, 2017
Boldin was a member of the 49ers from 2013-2015, and was the team’s leading receiver in all three seasons, twice gaining over 1,000 yards. In total, Boldin finished with 237 receptions, 3030 yards and 16 touchdowns in his time with San Francisco, making him the team’s most productive receiver since Terrell Owens.
49ers owner Jed York and a couple of Boldin’s former 49er teammates praised the wide receiver on Twitter following his announcement.
@AnquanBoldin was a hero on the field and continues to be one off the field. Thanks for your leadership. Congrats on a great @NFL career pic.twitter.com/Spfyoe3LfE
— Jed York (@JedYork) August 21, 2017
. @AnquanBoldin was a huge influence on my career and the way he approached each day to better himself. Congrats to an amazing man/teammate
— Joe Staley (@jstaley74) August 21, 2017
. @AnquanBoldin one of my all time favorite teammates. Congrats on the amazing career and thank you for all that you do off the field!
— Daniel Kilgore (@DanielKilgore67) August 21, 2017
49ers current head coach Kyle Shanahan also had this to say about Boldin via Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“I haven’t personally met Anquan or talked to him before, but he has been one of my favorites of all time,” Shanahan told Maiocco. “I love Anquan. I don’t know him at all, but I feel like I do because I’ve always studied how he plays. I remember watching him in college when he came into Florida State as a quarterback and moved quickly to receiver his freshman year.
“And I remember him coming into the league and people thinking he wouldn’t be as great because he didn’t have a fast 40 time. And watching him play over the years. That’s my definition of a football player. He’s as violent of a receiver as there is, and I’ve always truly believed that receivers can really set the mentality of an offense. I feel lineman have no choice, they have to be tough. Running backs, if you’re not tough, you’re not going to make it in this league because you get hit every play. Quarterbacks got to hang in there. Receivers are the guys who can pick and choose a little bit. And when you have guys who play like Anquan, that just brings a whole different mentality to your offense that I think usually leads to teams that have chances to win Super Bowls.”