Anquan Boldin To Leave Bills, Retire

Anquan Boldin signed with the Bills earlier this month in advance of a 15th NFL season, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be in the cards for the veteran wideout any longer.

Boldin informed the Bills on Sunday he plans to retire instead of suiting up for them in the regular season, ESPN.com’s Jim Trotter reports (on Twitter).

The former first-round pick signed a one-year deal that was worth as much as $4MM and said he would have signed with the Bills with or without Sammy Watkins on the roster. GM Brandon Beane also used Boldin’s acquisition to illustrate how the franchise wasn’t rebuilding after dealing Watkins and Ronald Darby.

Beane confirmed Boldin is retiring, via Twitter. The wideout officially spent just less than two weeks with the Bills.

Boldin retires as one of the best receivers of his era. The former Cardinals, Ravens, 49ers and Lions cog has the ninth-most receptions in NFL history, with 1,076. Only two active players — ex-teammate Larry Fitzgerald and longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten — have more catches than Boldin. A potential Hall of Famer, Boldin is 14th in receiving yards (13,779) and 23rd in touchdown receptions (82).

Football has afforded me a platform throughout my career to have a greater impact on my humanitarian work,” Boldin said in a statement, via Trotter (on Twitter). “At this time, I feel drawn to make the larger fight for human rights a priority. My life’s purpose is bigger than football.”

Set to turn 37 in October, Boldin operated as a starer during all 14 seasons of his career. The Florida State product finishes his run as a three-time Pro Bowler and having helped the 2012 Ravens to a Super Bowl title. He also teamed with Fitzgerald and Kurt Warner in elevating the Cardinals to their franchise peak, with an NFC title and narrow Super Bowl loss in 2008.

Boldin authored seven 1,000-yard seasons — for three different teams — and caught a career-high 11 touchdown passes during that ’08 season. He also recorded one of the best rookie seasons, with the ’03 Cards, by a receiver in NFL history, catching 101 passes for 1,377 yards and eight touchdowns.

Last year with the Lions, Boldin signed a one-year deal and started all 16 games. He served as a key security blanket for Matthew Stafford, catching 67 passes and scoring eight touchdowns.

Boldin was a free agent throughout the offseason and was connected to the Lions and Ravens. He ended up signing with the Bills and was expected to provide a veteran presence to a team that has revamped its receiving corps.

Gone are Watkins, Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin. In their places are now Jordan Matthews, second-round rookie Zay Jones and former Raiders starters Andre Holmes and Rod Streater, the latter of whom is currently injured. Former Panthers wideout Philly Brown and Patriots special-teamer Brandon Tate are also on the roster. This move deprives the Bills of a proven pass-catcher and puts more pressure on Matthews, also currently sidelined with an injury, to fill the void this season.

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