Anquan Boldin is mostly remembered among NFL fans as a solid wide receiver who had a successful stint with the Baltimore Ravens, culminating in a Super Bowl win against the San Francisco 49ers. He even got the scoring started during the Big Game, catching a 13-yard touchdown pass five minutes in. By the end of the contest, he finished with over 100 yards receiving, capping off an iconic performance.
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But many forget that after the win, Boldin was traded to the very team they had just beaten in the Super Bowl. That’s right—just one month after the game, the Ravens traded Anquan to the Niners for a sixth-round pick. It was the result of Boldin not wanting to take a pay cut to stay in Baltimore. In response, they shipped him out for pennies.
The business side of the NFL can get a bit ugly at times, and this story is no different. Recently, Boldin revealed that he was flying to Africa when the trade happened. And he had no idea until he found out mid-flight.
“After we win the Super Bowl in Baltimore, I’m off on a trip to Africa doing some humanitarian work. And I get off the plane, I got like, literally, a hundred text messages like, ‘Congratulations bro.’ I’m like, congratulations, what?” Boldin shared on The OGs podcast.
It must have been a scary time for Boldin. There he was, doing honest-to-goodness work and giving back to the world, and as a reward, he got burned by his own team. Not only that, but while in the air, he didn’t know what was happening and couldn’t meet with anyone to do anything about it. All of his communication had to be over the phone.
Immediately after receiving the congratulatory texts, Boldin contacted his agent. It was then that he learned what was going on.
“I hit my agent up, I’m like, ‘Bro, what’s going on?’ He’s like, ‘Man, they traded you to San Fran.’ I’m like, ‘They traded me to San Fran? What?’” Boldin recalled.
In a matter of seconds, Boldin’s world was being flipped upside down, while in Africa, nonetheless. Not only that, but he wasn’t happy and confused as to why a team he just won a Super Bowl with was trading him.
But by the end of the trip, though, the deal sunk in and he thought about it. By then, Boldin wasn’t that unhappy with the move.
“I’m coming back and I’m like thinking, San Fran? Well, shoot, if I got traded there, that ain’t bad. They were actually in the Super Bowl. So, like, it’s a legit team,” he shared.
Boldin would go on to have his first 1,000-yard receiving season since his time with the Arizona Cardinals four years earlier. He also logged 7 touchdowns and played in all 16 games. Boldin followed that up with another 1,000-yard season with the Niners at age 34.
That’s why, when Boldin thinks back on how his career panned out with the 49ers, he proudly reminisces about his stint.
“We had a great year… We made the playoffs, wild card. Then we beat Carolina at Carolina. Then we played Seattle in Seattle. Had a great year that year, but that team was loaded.”
That 49ers team in 2013 would finish 12-4 under Jim Harbaugh. Their offense was riddled with talent like Boldin, Frank Gore, Colin Kaepernick, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree. Furthermore, the defense was a menace, with NaVorro Bowman and Ahmad Brooks patrolling as linebackers.
All in all, it’s a great story that shows sometimes you need to give things a chance before being so quick to write them off. Surely, at the time he was traded, Boldin was upset that he was moving to a team he had just gone against in the Super Bowl. But after thinking about it and giving them a chance, he had better seasons statistically than he ever had in Baltimore. He just never won another ring, which is okay. It’s not always about ring chasing.
